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CHRONICLES  OF   DANVCRS 

OLD  SALEM  VILLAGE 


Harriet  Silvester  Tapley 


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I  Chronicles  of  Danvers 

I  (OLD  SALEM  VILLAGE) 

MASSACHUSETTS 


1632  -  1923 


By  Harriet  Silvester  Tapley 


With  Numerous  Illustrations 


The  Danvers  Historical  Society 

Danvers,  Massachusetts 

1923 


Printed  by 

NEWCOMB  &  GAUSS 

SALEM,  MASS. 

1923 


Copyright  1923 
HARRIET  SILVESTER  TAPLEY 


To  THE  Memory  of 
REV.    ALFRED    PORTER    PUTNAM,    D.  D., 

1827-1906 

A  Loyal  Son  of  Danvers 

Whose  love  for  the  Town  of  his  birth,  through  a  long 
Life  of  Distinguished  Service  in  great  centers  of 
activity,  was  unabated,  and  whose  devoted  labor  in  the 
field  of  local  history  produced  a  rich  harvest,  invaluable 
to  future  generations. 


FOREWORD. 

The  following  pages  were  written  in  1898,  with  the 
intention  of  bringing  out  a  book  for  the  use  of  the  public 
schools  in  the  study  of  local  history.  Circumstances 
prevented  its  publication  at  the  time,  and  it  is  now 
offered,  with  much  additional  matter,  as  a  chronological 
record  of  the  principal  events  in  the  nearly  three  hun- 
dred years  of  community  life  in  this  important  section 
of  old  Essex  County. 

Cordial  thanks  are  due  to  all  who  have  assisted  in 
the  work,  and  especially  to  the  Essex  Institute,  Peabody 
Historical  Society,  Society  for  the  Preservation  of  New 
England  Antiquities,  Peabody  Institute  Library,  Dan- 
vers,  and  the  Danvers  Mirror  Press,  for  courtesy  in 
loaning  cuts. 

The  author  is  also  greatly  indebted  for  valuable 
information  to  previous  historians  of  Danvers,  including 
Rev.  Charles  W.  Upham,  Judge  Alden  Perley  White, 
Samuel  P.  Fowler,  Rev.  J.  W.  Hanson,  Sidney  Perley, 
Esq.,  Andrew  Nichols,  Rev.  Alfred  P.  Putnam,  D.  D., 
Ezra  D.  Hines,  Rev.  Charles  B.  Rice,  D.  D.,  Dudley 
A.  Massey,  Frank  Cousins,  and  others. 

H.  S.  T. 
April,  1923. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGES 

I.  When  We  Belonged  to  Salem 1-41 

II.  The  Old  Town  of  Danvers 42-175 

III.  Danvers  Since  the  Division 176-212 

IV.  Old  and  Historic  Estates 213-248 

V.  Civil  History   249-262 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Annunciation  Church,  ....  facing  -page  179 

Baptist  Church,  90 

"Battle  of  Bunker  Hill,"  Trumbull's  Painting  of,         .         .         64 

"Battle  of  Stillwater,"  Broadside, 92 

Bell  Tavern  and  Lexington  Monument,        ....         68 

Berry  Tavern, 54,  55 

Bishop,  Bridget,  Warrant  Eeturn,         .....         24 

Black,  Major  Moses,  House  of, 90,115 

"Brooksby,"  Residence  of  Mrs.  William  Austin  Smith,         .       144 
Browne,  Mary  Burnet,  .......         36 

Browne,  Hon.  William,         .......         86 

Browne,  Hon.  William,  House  of, 37 

"Burley  Farm,"  Residence  of  George  Augustus  Peabody,    240,  241 

Calvary  Church, 178 

Collins  House, 104 

Crane  River,         .........         21 

Crane  River  and  Water  Street, 90 

Danvers  Centennial  Celebration,  .....       161 

Danvers  Historical  Society  House,        .....       199 

Danvers  Home  for  the  Aged^        ......       206 

Danvers  Square  in  1836,       .......       125 

Danvers  State  Hospital,        .  .         .  .         .193 

Driver  House,        .........       225 

Eastern  Railroad,  First  Timetable  of,  .         .         •         .       155 

Endecott,  Governor  John,     .......  5 

Endecott  House, 9 

Endecott  Pear  Tree, 4 

Endecott-Piemont-Leech  Tavern,  .....         55 

First  Church,  1701-1786, 40 

First  Church  of  1891, 201 

Folly  Hill,  39 

Fowler,  Samuel,  House  of,  118-120 

(ix) 


LIST    OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


Essex 


Gardner,  Lt.  George,  House  of, 

General  Court  Act  of  1676, 

"Glide,"  Ship,       . 

Goodale,  Isaac,  House  of,     . 

Haines,  Thomas,  House  of. 

Holmes,  Oliver  Wendell,  Poem  by, 

Holten,  Judge  Samuel, 

Holten,  Judge  Samuel,  Residence  of, 

Holten,  Samuel,  Newspaper  Clipping  Referring  to  his 

idency  of  Congress, 
Hooper,  Hon.  Robert, 
Houlton-Dempsey  House, 
Houlton-Wilkins  House, 
Howe  Residence, 

Hutchinson,  Col.  Israel,  Birthplace  of, 
Hutchinson,  Col.  Israel,  Home  of,         .         .         . 
Hutchinson-Kimball  House,         .... 
Independent  Agricultural  School  of  the  County  of 

Ipswich  Road,      .  

Jacobs,  George,  House  of,  .... 

Jacobs,  George,  Trial  of,       ....         . 
Jordan  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M,,  Signatures  of  Members 
"Leslie's  Retreat  at  North  Bridge," 

"The  Lindens," 

"Locust  Lawn,"    ....... 

Log  Cabin  in  Harrison  Campaign, 

Maple  Street  Church, 

"Maplebank," 

"Maplewood,"  Newhall-Massey  House, 

"Margaret,"  Ship, 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 

Naumkeag  House,         ...... 

Needham,  Anthony,  House  of,      . 

Newburyport  and  Dan  vers  and  Georgetown  Railroads, 

table  of .......         . 

Nichols,  John,  House  of,      ....         . 

Nurse,  Rebecca,  House  of,  .... 


Pres- 


129 
20 

121 
43 
33 

169 
58 
59 

58 
64 


33 

224 

65 

75 

17 

193 

8 

28 

29 

of,    105,  110 
69 
233-235 
215,  224 
137 
179 
225 
214 
121 
136 
55 
128 


Time- 


154 
16 
29 


LIST    OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


XI 


^'Oak  Knoll," 

Omnibus  on  Salem  and  Danvers  Koute, 

Osborn,  Sir  Danvers,  and  Birthplace  of, 

Page,  Col.  Jeremiah,  Kesidence  of, 

Page,  Capt.  Samuel,  Masonic  Punch  Bowl  of, 

Page,  Capt.  Samuel,  Residence  of. 

Page,  Capt.  Samuel,  Ship  Lantern  of, 

Peabody,  George,  ..... 

Peabody,  George,British  War  Vessels  Conveying 
Peabody,  George,  Inscription  on  Envelope  sent  by, 
Peabody,  George,  Timetable  Issued  for  Funeral  of, 
Peabody  Farm  Entrance,  and  Summer  House, 
Peabody  Institute,        ..... 

Peabody  Institute  Library,  Delivery  Room, 
Peabody  Medal,    ...... 

Peabody  Reception  Arch  at  Danversport, 

Peabody  Reception  Arch  on  High  Street, 

Peabody  Reception,  Arch  on  Maple  Street, 

Petition  for  Separation  from  Salem, 

Phillips-Lawrence- Sanders  House, 

Plan  of  a  part  of  Danvers  Highlands,  1730, 

Pope,  Amos,  Almanac  of, 

Pope,  Amos,  Birthplace  of. 

Porter,  Gen.  Moses, 

Porter,  Gen.  Moses,  Birthplace  of. 

Porter,  John,  House  of, 

Porter,  Zerubbabel,  Shoe  Factory  of, 

Porter-Bradstreet  House, 

Porter's  River,      .... 

Prince,  Dr.  Jonathan,  House  of, 

Prince-Osborne  House, 

Putnam,  Rev.  Dr.  Alfred  Porter, 

Putnam,  Dr.  Amos, 

Putnam,  Hon.  Elias,  House  of,     . 

Putnam,  Gen.  Israel,     . 

Putnam,  Gen.  Israel,  Birthplace  of, 

Putnam,  Col.  Jesse,  House  of. 


Remains  of 


229 

184 
42 
68 
111 
114 
114 
165 
172 
161 
174 
240,  242,  243 
168,  169 
173 
172 
160 
160 
164 
41 
225 
49 
100 
101 
74 
101 
12 
101 
16 
12 
65 
25 
198 
43 
206 
64,  74 
75,  214 
206 


Xll 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


Putnam,  Judge  Samuel, 

Putnam,  Judge  Samuel,  Residence  of, 

Putnam,  Thomas,  House  of, 

Putnam  Home,     . 

Putnam-Clark  House, 

Putnam-Crawford  House, 

Putnam -Perry  House, 

Putnam-Preston  Peabody  House, 

Putnam-Sears  House, 

Putnam's  Pond  and  Mill, 

Rea-Dodge  House, 

Rea-Putnam- Fowler  House, 

Read,  Hon.  Nathan,     . 

Read-Crowninshield-Porter  House, 

"Riverbank,"  Residence  of  John  Frederick 

St.  John's  Preparatory  School,     . 

Silvester,  Joshua,  Residence  of, 

Skelton's  Neck  Division, 

Starting  for  the  Ohio, 

Summer  House  on  the  Peabody  Farm, 

Town  Hall  and  High  School, 

Training  Field  and  Upton  Tavern, 

Unitarian  Church, 

Universalist  Church,    . 

Upton  Tavern,  Peabody, 

Wadsworth,  Rev.  Benjamin,  House  of. 

Waters  River  and  Beverly  Shore, 

Waters  River  and  Endecott  Grant, 

Whittier,  John  Greenleaf,    . 


Hussey, 


66 
67 
115 
207 
13 
25 
104 
48 
185 
67 
184 
48 
97 
96,  97 
232 
200 
175 
32 
93 
240 
192 
frontispiece 
178 
124 
145 
91 
38 
9 
228 


"Danvers  may  well  be  proud  of  her  history.  She  is 
one  of  a  group  of  towns  which  has  done  as  much  for  the 
liberties  of  the  nation  and  the  world  as  any  other  equal 
population  on  the  continent." 

— Hon.  Robert  Bantoul,  Jr.,  1852. 


I.     WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM. 


1632-1752. 


THE  EARLY  SETTLERS  AND  WHAT 
THEY  FOUND  HERE. 


Boundaries. — The  Town  of  Danvers  is,  approxi- 
mately, five  miles  from  east  to  west  and  four  from  north 
to  south.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Wenham  and 
Topsfield,  east  by  Wenham,  Beverly  and  Salem,  south 
by  Peabody,  west  by  Topsfield  and  Middleton. 


Early  Settlement  and  Name. — Reports  had 
reached  England,  through  men  engaged  in  the  fishing 
industrj^  that  there  was  an  excellent  opportunity  in  the 
region  of  Cape  Ann  for  fishing  and  farming.  The  re- 
ports were  so  encouraging  that  in  1628,  John  Endecott, 
with  a  company  called  the  "Dorchester  Company,"  set 
sail  from  Dorchester,  England,  and  in  the  autumn  of 
that  year  landed  at  Naumkeag,  or  Salem,  as  the  white 
settlers  soon  named  it.  Endecott  was  a  man  of  daunt- 
less courage;  benevolent,  though  austere;  firm  in  his 
convictions  and  of  a  rugged  nature.  Craving  religious 
toleration  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  he  oftentimes  forgot 
to  exercise  that  spirit  toward  his  associates  of  the  new 
world.  In  this  new  country  the  Dorchester  Company 
not  onl}^  expected  to  profit  in  a  commercial  way,  but  to 
be  able  to  enjoy  that  religious  freedom  which  they  had 
longed  for  in  their  native  land. 

Territory  Comprising  Salem. — Endecott  and  his 
company  found  nine  houses  and  about  one  hundred 

(1) 


2  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

people  in  the  territory  called  Salem,  which  then  com- 
prised besides  the  present  city  of  that  name,  Beverly, 
Manchester,  Wenham,  Marblehead,  Danvers,  Peabody, 
Middleton  and  a  part  of  Topsfield.  The  people  they 
found  already  there  were  called  "Planters."  They  had 
recently  come  from  the  vicinity  of  Gloucester,  where 
the  fishing  business  had  not  reached  their  expectations, 
and  were  about  to  try  their  fortunes  in  and  around 
Naumkeag.  Among  them  Roger  Conant  was  the  most 
prominent.  He  was  a  fisherman,  and  built  the  first 
house  in  Salem.  He  was  born  in  Budleigh,  England, 
in  1591,  and  died  in  Salem,  19  Nov.,  1679.  Cotton 
Mather  spoke  of  him  as  "a  most  religious,  prudent  and 
worthy  gentleman." 

First  Grant. — John  Endecott,  who  had  been  elected 
Governor  of  the  new  colony  before  they  embarked  from 
England,  brought  with  him  legal  papers  which  con- 
veyed to  six  of  the  men  of  his  party  all  the  land  included 
in  the  present  Essex  County,  and  portions  of  Norfolk, 
Suffolk  and  Middlesex  counties.  This  was  called  a 
grant,  and  was  obtained  in  England  from  the  "Council 
for  New  England,"  which  had  charge  of  all  the  settle- 
ments in  this  part  of  the  country. 

Government. — The  colony  now  had  a  Governor,  but 
as  yet  no  method  had  been  suggested  whereby  the  colo- 
nists could  have  a  voice  in  conducting  the  affairs  of  the 
plantation.  Thus  early  did  thej^  declare  themselves  in 
favor  of  a  government  by  the  people.  The  year  follow- 
ing the  settlement,  a  corporation  was  formed  under 
Charter^  from  Charles  I  of  England,  called  "The  Gov- 
ernor and  Company  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New 
England,"  which  continued  for  fifty-five  years.  It  gave 
power  to  the  freemen  of  the  Company  to  elect  each  year 
a  governor,  deputj^  and  eighteen  assistants,  who  made 

J  A  duplicate  is  in  the  Salem  Athenaeum. 


& 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  8 

the  laws  and  settled  all  questions  of  dispute.  These 
men  constituted  the  Great  and  General  Court.  To  be- 
come a  freeman,  each  person  was  required  to  be  a 
respectable  member  of  the  church  and  take  oath  before 
the  Great  and  General  Court  that  he  would  uphold  the 
government.  jNIatthew  Craddock  was  the  first  home 
governor  elected.  He  was  a  prosperous  merchant  of 
London,  who  aided  the  colonists,  in  large  measure,  with 
monc}^  and  influence.  Salem's  history  as  a  town  dates 
from  about  the  year  1G33. 

Condition  of  the  Country  and  of  the  Early 
Settlers. — The  colonists  became  fishermen  of  neces- 
sity.^ To  the  disappointment  of  manj^  the  soil  near  the 
coast  was  found  to  be  unsuited  to  prosperous  farming, 
but  the  sea  was  swarming  with  fish  of  all  kinds.  The 
Indians  of  this  region  had  lived  upon  fish  for  genera- 
tions, were  occupied  in  this  pursuit  more  generally  than 
in  hunting,  and  the  white  settlers  also  soon  found  in  this 
business  a  lucrative  emplo5^ment.  Their  fishing  boats 
were  called  shalloi^s,  which  were  large  boats  with  a  deck, 
something  like  a  ship's  long-boat. 

The  Indian  tribes  around  Salem  had  been  depleted 
by  sickness  to  a  great  extent  during  the  few  years  pre- 
vious to  Endecott's  arrival,  and  consequently  did  not 
give  the  colonists  the  trouble  that  was  experienced  in 
other  sections  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony,  yet 
there  was  always  constant  fear  of  attack.  Added  to 
this,  sickness  without  medical  aid,  scarcity  of  food  and 
shelter,  and  a  climate  to  the  severity  of  which  they  were 
unaccustomed,  the  early  company  suffered  untold  mis- 
ery during  the  first  winter. 

The  Naumkeag  Tribe. — The  Naumkeags,  who  oc- 
cupied the  land  in  this  region,  were,  in  the  years  of  their 

1  See  Gilbert  L.  Streeter's  "Storj'  of  Winter  Island  and  Salem  Neck," 
in  Essex  Institute  Hist.  Coll.,  Vol.  xxxiii. 


4  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

strength,  a  prosperous,  numerous  and  powerful  tribe. 
Nanepashemet.^  was  the  chief  of  this  tribe.  He  was 
killed  in  1619.  When  the  settlers  arrived  from  England, 
the  chief's  wife  or  squaw  was  living  in  Salem  with  her 
three  sons.  She  afterwards  became  the  squaw  of  an 
Indian  priest,  and  left  the  settlement.  Her  son  George 
succeeded  to  all  the  country  of  the  tribe,  which  extended 
from  the  Naumkeag  to  the  Mystic  river,  thereby  rising 
to  the  dignity  of  old  Nanepashemet,  as  far  as  amount 
of  territory  was  concerned.  His  Indian  name  was  Win- 
napurkitt,  but  he  was  often  called  George  Rumney 
Marsh"  or  No  Nose.  He  died  in  1684,  transferring  his 
extensive  claims  to  a  relative,  who  attempted  to  hold 
them  against  the  settlers.  But  it  was  of  no  avail,  and 
in  1686,  for  the  sum  of  40  pounds,  Salem  bought  all  the 
Indian  title^  to  her  territorj'-,  as  did  other  towns  round 
about.  Thus  effectually  did  the  early  settlers,  here  as 
in  other  parts  of  the  country,  crowd  out  the  original 
owners  of  the  territory.  George  left  descendants,  but 
they  were  simply  wanderers  in  the  land  which  their 
fathers  had  trod  in  majestj^ 

GRANTS  TO  SALEM  FARMERS. 

First  Settlers  in  Danvers. — As  the  settlers  could 
find  no  suitable  land  for  cultivation  near  the  sea,  quite 
naturally  those  who  wished  to  engage  in  farming  gradu- 
ally pushed  back  into  the  country,  away  from  the  coast. 
For  this  reason  that  part  of  old  Salem  known  as 
Brooksby,  now  Peabody,^  was  settled  by  men  from  the 
Company  who  were  granted  tracts  of  land  for  farms 
as  early  as  1635.    About  the  same  time  land  was  taken 

1  Indian  name  of  Marblehead. 

2  Eunmey  Marsh  was  the  name  given  to  the  present  Chelsea. 

3  The  deed  by  which  Salem  came  into  possession  of  the  territory  now 
hangs  in  City  Hall. 

4  Danvers  and  Peabodj^  were  one  town  until  1855. 


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GOVERNOR  JOHN  ENDECOTT 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  5 

up  in  what  is  now  Danvers  by  Richard  Weston  at 
Danvers  Highlands,  and  Richard  Waterman  near  by, 
probably  at  Beaver  Brook.  They  soon  removed  to 
Providence,  R.  I.,  where  they  were  reckoned  among 
the  leading  citizens,  being  prominently  identified  with 
the  founding  of  the  first  Baptist  Church  in  America,  at 
that  place.  Weston  sold  his  estate  to  Richard  Ingersoli 
and  William  Haynes,  and  Waterman's  was  incorpo- 
rated in  that  of  John  Putnam. 

Endecott  Grant. — Governor  Endecott  received  the 
first  Colonial  gi-ant  made  by  the  Great  and  General 
Court  at  its  session  on  July  3,  1632,  on  account  of  the 
great  service  he  had  rendered  the  colony.  It  consisted 
of  300  acres  of  land  in  the  present  Danversport,  and 
was  bounded  on  the  east  by  Danvers  river,  then  called 
Wooleston,  known  to  the  Indians  as  Orkhussunt;  on 
the  north  by  Crane,  then  called  Duck  river,  known  to 
the  Indians  as  Conamabsquenooncant ;  and  on  the  south 
by  Waters,  then  Cowhouse  river,  known  to  the  Indians 
as  Soewamapenessett.  This  neck  of  land,  as  it  was 
termed,  had  an  Indian  name,  Wahquainesehcok,  which, 
in  English,  means  "Birchwood."  The  year  following, 
the  Governor  set  about  clearing  the  farm,  built  a  house, 
cultivated  the  land,  and  named  his  new  estate  "Orchard 
Farm."^  Rich  in  natural  beauty,  the  farm  developed 
under  the  personal  care  of  its  owner  into  the  most  at- 
tractive estate  of  the  colony.  The  house  was  situated  on 
a  knoll  overlooking  the  beautiful  streams  of  water,  across 
the  street  from  the  house  now  standing  on  the  estate. 

As  there  were  no  roads  through  the  woods,  or  bridges 
in  this  part  of  Salem,  at  this  time,  the  Governor  was 
obliged  to  make  the  trip  between  his  home  and  Salem 
town  by  water,  and  many  a  day  did  he  embark  in  his 
shallop,  near  the  present  iron  works,  for  the  scene  of 

1  Now  the  farm  of  Williami  C.  Endicott,  Esq.,  on  Endicott  street. 


6  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

his  Colonial  duties.    The  Governor's  old  spring  of  water 
is  yet  to  be  seen  in  a  cove  of  Waters  river. 

"Shaded  spring  whereof  he  drank, 
On  the  pleasant  willow-bank." 

In  the  Endecott  burying  ground  at  "The  Pines,"  so- 
called,  lie  the  remains  of  several  generations  of  Ende- 
cotts.  This  property  is  still  owned  by  a  descendant  of 
the  Governor.  Governor  Endecott  was  buried  in  King's 
Chapel  burying  ground,  Boston. 

Endecott  Pear  Tree. — The  Governor  was  a  lover 
of  trees  of  every  description,  and  in  the  early  days  of 
his  settlement  at  "Orchard  Farm,"  he  gave  much  atten- 
tion to  the  native  fruits  of  the  countrj^  His  orchard  of 
pear  trees,  supposed  to  have  been  sent  from  England 
previous  to  1640,  were  the  first  cultivated  fruit-bearing 
trees  in  New  England,  the  planting  of  which  was  an 
event  of  great  interest.  The  last  representative  of  the 
orchard  is  still  in  existence,  near  the  site  of  the  Gover- 
nor's house.  It  is  said  that  this  tree  was  planted  by  the 
Governor's  own  hands.  It  is  known  throughout  the 
country  as  "The  Endecott  Pear  Tree,"  and  as  it  stands 
in  the  pasture,  solitary  and  alone,  its  marvellous  age 
written  in  its  decaying  branches,  it  recalls  to  mind  a 
nation's  history.    Governor  Endecott  little  thought 

"That  when  centuries  had  passed. 
Bloom  and  fruitage  still  would  last, 
Still  a  growing,  breathing  thing, 
Autumn,  with  the  heart  of  spring." 

The  Governor  was  also  said  to  be  the  first  to  plant  the 
"white  weed,"  which  has  proved  such  an  annoyance  to 
farmers.  It  was  cultivated  for  its  beauty  and  for  me- 
dicinal purposes.^ 

1  See  Charles  M.  Endicott's  "Biography  of  the  Governor." 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  7 

Early  Dwelling  Houses. — The  houses  of  the  early 
settlers  were  very  similar  to  one  another  in  construction, 
differing  only  in  size  and  appointments,  according  to 
the  wealth  of  their  occupants.  Each  man  was  without 
a  doubt  the  architect  of  his  own  habitation,  and  often- 
times he  was  the  carpenter  as  well.  The  better  class  of 
houses^  were  two  stories  high,  the  upper  story  jutting 
out  a  foot  or  two  beyond  the  lower;  some  of  these  had 
peaks  on  each  side  of  the  roof,  forming  small  chambers. 
The  timbers  were  very  large,  hewn  by  hand,  and  no 
attempt  was  made  to  encase  any  of  the  beams  in  the 
rooms.  Such  houses  had  small  windows,  with  diamond- 
shaped  panes,  and  the  walls  were  "daubed"  with  clay 
and  sometimes  whitewashed.  One  large  chimney  served 
for  the  large  kitchen  fireplace.  Houses  of  the  farmers 
were  for  the  most  part  plainly  built,  often  with  a  long 
sloping  roof  at  the  back  called  a  "leanto." 

Means  of  Travel  and  Communication. — On  ac- 
count of  the  nature  of  the  country,  covered  as  it  was 
with  forests  and  rocks,  the  early  settlers  used  the  rivers 
almost  exclusively  for  means  of  communication.  It 
was  easy  and  convenient,  and  they  had  little  time  to 
spend  in  laying  out  roads  in  this  wilderness.  Canoes 
made  of  the  trunks  of  pine  trees  hollowed  out  had  been 
in  use  by  the  Indians,  but  the  colonists  needed  some- 
thing more  substantial,  and  the  flat-bottom  boat  of  the 
dory  style  was  invented.  After  a  while,  paths  from 
one  farm  to  another  were  made  by  constant  passing,  and 
later  when  horses  began  to  be  used  the  path  became 
a  "bridle  road"  that  led  from  village  to  village,  over 
which  the  heavy  two-wheeled  ox-carts  travelled.  Every 
one  could  ride  a  horse.  The  Yankee  boy,  "riding  horse 
to  plough,"  learned  full  familiarity  with  equestrian  atti- 
tudes and  became  a  fearless  horseman,  and  the  Yankee 

1  See  Pickering  house,  Salem. 


8  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

girl  acquired  the  spirit  of  freedom  and  contempt  of 
danger. 

Before  long,  the  sound  of  wheels  began  to  be  heard. 
The  richer  among  the  colonists  remembered  that  the 
man  of  wealth  at  home  in  England  always  kept  his  car- 
riage. They  would  do  the  same.  And  with  the  intro- 
duction of  wheeled  vehicles,  better  roads  became  a  neces- 
sity. But  now  the  streams,  which  had  formerly  aided 
in  communication,  became  the  worst  of  obstacles,  so 
that  ''ferries"  were  established  where  the  water  was  too 
deep  to  be  forded.  As  yet  the  colonists  were  not  suffic- 
iently endowed  with  this  world's  goods  to  construct 
bridges. 

First  Road  in  Danvers. — The  road  known  as  "The 
Old  Ipswich  Road,"  was  the  first  highway  in  use  in  the 
town.  It  commences  at  Conant  street,  where  Danvers 
joins  North  Beverly  and  runs  over  Conant,  Elm,  Ash 
and  Sylvan  streets,  and  on  through  Peabody.  This  road 
was  originally  an  old  Indian  trail,  and  was  in  use  by  the 
white  settlers  as  early  as  1630.  In  the  British  Museum, 
London,  is  an  old  map  of  this  vicinity,  which  shows  this 
ancient  way  as  having  been  laid  out  previous  to  1634. 
The  General  Court  appropriated  money  for  its  improve- 
ment in  1643.  Many  distinguished  people  have  passed 
over  it,  as  it  was  for  years  the  only  direct  route  from 
Ipswich  and  surrounding  towns  to  Boston.  In  1634, 
Governor  John  Winthrop  rode  from  Boston  on  a  visit 
to  his  son,  John  Winthrop,  Jr.,  in  Ipswich ;  the  Mathers, 
Justices  Hawthorne  and  Curwen,  of  witchcraft  days, 
and  Rebecca  Nurse  on  her  way  to  Salem  jail;  the  Eng- 
lish Governor,  General  Thomas  Gage  and  his  English 
troops ;  Capt.  Henry  Dearborn,  afterward  Secretary  of 
War  under  Jefferson;  John  Adams,  Josiah  Quincy,  and 
John  Quincy  Adams  often  used  this  old  road.  Benedict 
Arnold  and  his  troops,  with  the  celebrated  Capt.  Daniel 


ASH  STREET 
A  portion  of  the  Old  Ipswich  road,  laid  out  as  a  highway  from  Boston  to  Ipswich  before  1634 


^f^ 


HOULTON-liEMl'SKY  HOUSE,  CEN  TRI',  STKEET 
Built  by  Joseph  Houlton  probably  soon  after  1670 


WATERS  RIVER  AND  ENDECOTT  GRANT 


THE  ENDECOTT  HOUSE  ON  "ORCHARD  FARM  " 
Built  in  the  early  part  of  the  i8th  century.     Now  owned  by  William  Crowninshield  Endicott 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  9 

Morgan,  took  this  road  on  their  memorable  march  from 
Cambridge  to  Quebec  in  1775;  and  it  was  along  this 
road  that  the  bodies  of  the  Danvers  men  slain  in  the 
Battle  of  Lexington  were  brought  to  their  homes,  made 
desolate  by  that  first  engagement  in  1775. 

Skelton's  Grant. — Rev.  Samuel  Skelton,  the  first 
minister  of  the  new  colony,  who  arrived  in  Salem  in 
1629,  was  granted  by  the  Colonial  government  five 
years  later,  the  other  neck  of  land  at  Danversport,  com- 
prising 200  acres.  It  was  bounded  on  the  east  by  Por- 
ter's river,  on  the  south  by  Porter's  and  Crane  river, 
and  on  the  west  by  Crane  river.  This  portion  of  the 
town  received  the  name  of  "Skelton's  Neck."  The 
Indian  name  was  Wahquack,  and  it  was  afterwards 
called  "New  Mills."  Skelton  was  a  Puritan  of  the 
strongest  type,  rugged,  enduring,  and  possessed  of  a 
brilliant  mind.  He  was  educated  at  Clare  Hall,  Cam- 
bridge, England,  and  died  in  Salem.  His  election  to 
the  office  of  minister  was  by  ballot,  the  first  instance 
of  this  method  of  choice  in  the  new  world. 

Humphrey's  Grant. — These  two  grants,  Endecott's 
and  Skelton's,  gave  the  Governor  and  minister  a  pre- 
sumptive title  to  all  the  town  north  of  Waters  river. 
The  remaining  grantee,  created  by  the  Colonial  gov- 
ernment, was  John  Humphrey,  who  in  1635  received 
a  gift  of  a  large  number  of  acres  in  that  part  of  the  town 
now  Peabody,  near  the  Lynnfield  line,  together  with  a 
pond  and  island.  This  pond  is  known  as  Humphrey's 
pond,  and  upon  the  island  in  its  midst  the  first  settlers 
erected  a  fortification,  as  a  retreat  from  the  Indians. 

Other  Early  Settlers. — Subsequent  landowners 
by  grant  or  purchase  were :  Thomas  Read,  where  now  is 
"Oak  Hill,"  Peabody;  Townsend  Bishop,  at  the  iSTurse 
farm;  William  Alford  at  Cherry  Hill;  Richard  Inger- 
soll,  east  side  of  Porter's  river;  Hugh  Peters,  east  of 


10  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

Frostfish  brook;  Elias  Stileman,  north  of  Bishop; 
Thomas  Gardner  in  West  Peabody ;  Daniel  Rea  in  Put- 
namville;  Richard  Hutcliinson  at  Whipple's  hill;  Major 
William  Hathorne  at  Hathorne  Hill;  Capt.  Richard 
Davenport  in  Putnamville ;  Job  Swinerton  near  Bishop ; 
Robert  Goodell,  near  Swinerton;  Jacob  Barney,  Law- 
rence, John  and  Richard  Leach  in  East  Danvers; 
Charles  Gott,  at  the  "Burley  Farm";  Allen  Kenniston, 
Thomas  Smith,  near  the  Topsfield  line;  William  Nich- 
ols, the  present  Ferncroft  district;  Joseph  Houlton, 
near  the  First  Church;  Thomas  Preston,  between  Ende- 
cott  and  Bishop;  Joseph  Pope,  south  of  the  Danvers 
and  Peabody  line. 

The  Militia;  Cutting  Out  the  Red  Cross. — As 
soon  as  the  colonists  arrived,  military  companies  were 
organized  for  protection  from  the  Indians,  and  the  men 
of  this  district  were  not  slow  in  joining.  In  1631,  the 
General  Court  ordered  that  each  Captain  should  drill 
or  "train"  his  men,  as  it  was  called,  every  Saturday. 
This  rule  was  somewhat  modified  in  the  years  which 
followed.  It  was  during  one  of  these  trainings  in  1634 
that  Governor  Endecott  cut  the  red  cross  from  the  flag. 
The  colors  then  consisted  of  a  green  field  with  a  white 
union,  having  upon  it  the  red  cross  of  England.  At 
that  period  a  strong  opposition  was  felt  against  every 
symbol  of  Popery,  and  the  bold  act  of  Endecott  was 
secretly  approved  by  the  principal  men  of  the  colony. 
This  act  was  construed  in  England  as  one  of  rebellion, 
and  for  the  sake  of  pacifying  the  people  in  the  mother 
country,  the  General  Court  summoned  Endecott  to 
appear  before  that  body.  His  punishment  was  the  loss 
of  his  election  as  assistant. 

"The  discipline  of  the  Colonial  soldier  was  severe  at 
this  time,  for  we  read  that  it  was  enacted  that  'any  dis- 
obeying his  officer  should  be  set  in  the  stocks  or  be 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  11 

whipped.'  Military  officers  also  directed  the  arms  that 
men  should  carry  in  going  from  home,  and  particularly 
when  attending  church.  The  sight  of  a  stalwart  citizen 
of  Danvers  today,  heavily  armed  and  marching  up  and 
down  the  sidewalk  in  front  of  a  church  door,  narrowly 
watching  every  approach,  while  Sunday  morning  ser- 
vice was  in  progress,  and  the  subsequent  exit  of  the 
congregation,  each  man  with  a  heavy  matchlock  carry- 
ing a  bullet  of  fifteen  to  the  pound,  on  his  shoulder, 
would  strike  us  as  rather  odd.  But  it  was  quite  the  cor- 
rect thing  in  the  sixteen-forties." 

Pequot  War. — New  settlers  began  to  take  up  their 
abode  in  the  large  tract  of  land  afterward  named  Dan- 
vers. The  houses  were  scattered,  but  the  settlement 
sustained  a  healthy  growth.  In  1636,  the  Pequot  War 
broke  out,  and  on  August  25  of  that  year,  ninety  men, 
among  whom  were  doubtless  a  few  from  Danvers,  under 
command  of  Endecott,  volunteered  their  services.  The 
results  of  this  expedition  were  the  destruction  of  much 
corn  and  other  property  of  the  Indians.  Two  soldiers 
were  killed.  The  trip  consumed  three  weeks.  The  fol- 
lowing year  another  company  from  Salem  joined  the 
jNIassachusetts  force  under  Stoughton  for  the  purpose 
of  again  attacking  the  Pequots.  In  this  engagement 
none  were  lost. 

SETTLEMENT  AND  LIFE  AT  SALEM 
VILLAGE. 

Founding  of  Salem  Village. — The  first  real  set- 
tlement of  any  proportions  in  the  territory  now  covered 
by  Danvers  and  Peabody  was  the  locality  called  Salem 
"Village"  or  "Farms,"  comprising  all  of  the  present 
Danvers  Highlands.  In  1638,  the  "seven  men"  or 
selectmen  of  Salem  granted  to  Rev.  John  Phillips  the 


12  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

right  to  establish  a  village  there,  on  the  condition  that 
lie  would  settle  and  build  up  the  place.  This  he  agreed 
to  do,  but  he  did  not  fulfill  his  promise  and  returned  to 
England.  With  him,  however,  it  is  supposed  that  such 
men  as  Hutchinson,  Goodale,  Flint,  Needham,  Buxton, 
Swinerton,  Andrews,  Fuller,  Walcott,  Pope,  Rea,  Fel- 
ton,  Osborn,  and  others  came  to  the  new  village  and 
remained.  These  families  may  be  regarded  as  among 
the  founders  of  Salem  Village.  The  Village  included 
all  the  land,  not  then  occupied,  between  Waters  river 
and  the  Ipswich  river.  The  people  were  engaged  in 
farming,  from  which  they  derived  the  name  of  "The 
Farmers,"  to  distinguish  them  from  the  people  of  Salem 
town.  Active,  industrious,  frugal  and  intelligent,  they 
were  well  fitted  to  make  fertile  and  profitable  farms 
out  of  what  was  then  but  a  rough  wilderness.  A  vast 
amount  of  patient  labor  must  have  been  required  to  first 
break  the  soil  and  make  the  rough  places  smooth. 

John  Putnam's  Grant. — It  is  to  be  remembered 
that  all  grants  before  mentioned  were  made  by  the  Gen- 
eral Court.  The  selectmen  of  Salem,  as  a  town  govern- 
ment began  to  assume  shape,  also  granted  land  to  indi- 
viduals. Among  the  early  grants  was  that  of  John 
Putnam,  about  1640.  Putnam  had  come  from  Buck- 
inghamshire, England,  with  his  wife  and  three  sons,  and 
as  a  family  thej^  were  thrifty  and  sturdy  and  embodied 
all  the  characteristics  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  better 
class.  His  farm  included  the  land  along  Whipple's 
brook,  from  Putnam's  mill  on  Sylvan  street  to  the  house 
in  which  Gen.  Israel  Putnam  was  born,  corner  New- 
bury and  Maple  streets  in  Danvers.  The  house  in  which 
he  lived  was  situated  by  the  side  of  the  old  well,  which 
may  still  be  seen  near  "Oak  Knoll,"  on  Summer  street. 
He  was  born  at  Aston  Abbots,  England,  about  1580; 
died  in  Salem  Village,  now  Danvers,  December  30, 


PORTER'S  RIVER,  LOOKING  FROM  ELLIOTT  STREET  AT  FROSTFISH  BROOK 
TOWARD  DANVERSPORT 


JOHN  PORTER  HOUSE 

Built  about  1647.     Destroyed  by  fire,  September,  1865. 

Copied  from  a  memory  sketch  made  by  Mrs.  Mary  Weston  Dodge 


O     o 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  13 

1662.    From  him  are  descended  all  of  the  name  of  Put- 
nam in  this  country. 

Downing  and  Cole  Grants. — Other  large  grants 
made  about  this  time  (1635-38)  were  to  Emanuel 
Downing/  comprising  500  acres  in  the  vicinity  of  Mount 
Pleasant,  Peabody,  and  also  the  land  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  present  Danvers,  between  Beaver  Brook  and 
Conant  street;  and  to  Robert  Cole,  300  acres  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Rogers  farm,  "Oak  Hill,"  Peabody. 
Downing  was  a  lawyer  of  the  Inner  Temple.  His  sec- 
ond wife  was  Lucy  Winthrop,  sister  of  the  Governor. 
He  was  father  of  Sir  George  Downing,  a  member  of 
the  first  class  graduated  from  Harvard,  and  for  whom 
Downing  street  in  London,  the  residence  of  the  Prime 
Minister  of  England,  was  named. 

John  Porter  Estate. — In  1644,  John  Porter  came 
from  Hingham,  where  he  had  lived  a  short  time,  and 
according  to  tradition  sailed  up  Porter's  river,  then 
called  "Frost  Fish  river,"  and  settled  on  its  banks  at  a 
point  rear  of  the  present  Unity  Chapel.  He  had  bought 
from  Samuel  Sharp  the  entire  territory  now  known  as 
Danvers  Plains,  300  acres,  for  the  meager  sum  of  one 
hundred  and  ten  pounds  of  English  money.  A  few 
years  later  he  purchased  the  Downing  grant  just  men- 
tioned and  other  estates,  becoming  the  landowner  of  the 
time.  What  is  known  today  as  "The  Plains,"  was  called 
"Porter's  Plain"  for  years,  in  honor  of  John  Porter. 
This  pioneer  built  his  house  on  a  pleasant  knoll  just  up 
from  the  river  bank,  the  location  of  which  can  still  be 
traced.  He  was  a  man  of  Puritan  integrity  and  an 
intimate  friend  of  Governor  Endecott  throughout  the 
latter's  life.  Porter  was  a  tanner  by  occupation,  and 
is  said  to  have  estabhshed  the  first  tannery  in  New  Eng- 

1  See  "No.  10  Downing  Street,"  by  Ezra  D.  Hines,  in  Danvers  His- 
torical Collections,  Vol.  9. 


14  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

land.  He  shipped  at  least  two  consignments  of  leather 
to  the  Barbadoes.  In  civil  life  he  had  the  highest  posi- 
tions within  the  gift  of  his  townsmen;  in  time  of  peril 
he  gave  his  services  loyally  to  his  country ;  in  the  church 
he  was  willing  to  bear  a  full  share  of  responsibility. 
From  John  Porter  are  descended  all  the  Danvers 
Porters  and  many  of  that  name  throughout  the  country. 

Dissatisfaction  at  Salem  Village. — During  the 
next  twenty  years,  as  the  population  of  the  Village  in- 
creased, from  time  to  time  dissatisfaction  began  to  show 
itself  among  the  people.  The  "Farmers"  were  obliged 
to  ride  or  walk  to  Salem  town  for  the  transaction  of  all 
business,  both  public  and  private,  and  for  public  wor- 
ship. Some  wished  to  be  set  off  from  Salem  as  a  sepa- 
rate town,  while  others  expressed  themselves  as  content 
if  liberty  should  be  granted  them  to  establish  a  separate 
parish,  still  retaining  their  connection  with  the  town  of 
Salem.  They  were  then  paying  for  the  support  of  the 
minister  at  Salem  town,  as  well  as  their  proportion  of 
the  town  rate,  and  they  rebelled  against  maintaining  a 
church  whose  services,  on  account  of  the  distance,  they 
could  seldom  enjoy. 

In  1667,  the  farmers  petitioned  the  General  Court 
for  relief  from  serving  on  the  military  watch  in  Salem 
town,  as  they  claimed  that  it  left  their  families  at  home 
improtected.  They  had  appealed  to  the  county  court 
without  effect,  and  the  town  continuing  to  warn  them 
"in  his  Majesty's  name  and  per  order  of  the  Militia," 
they  obeyed  rather,  as  they  said,  to  avoid  trouble  than 
because  they  thought  it  was  their  duty.  Major  Denni- 
son,  the  commander  of  their  regiment,  being  predis- 
posed in  their  favor.  Some  of  them  lived  ten  miles 
from  Salem  town,  and  the  nearest  were  five  miles,  which, 
including  travel  to  the  sentry  place,  totaled  about  eleven 
miles  that  many  had  to  march  with  arms  and  ammuni- 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  15 

tion.  This  was,  in  their  estimation,  more  than  a  sol- 
dier's march  who  was  under  pay.  Further,  "the  distance 
of  our  houses  one  from  another,  some  a  mile,  some  fur- 
ther, it  beinf;'  difficult  to  send  one  neighbor  to  another 
on  dark  nights  in  a  wilderness  so  little  cleared  and  ways 
so  impassible.  When  one  man  is  taken  away  from  many 
of  our  families,  of  the  rest,  some  are  young,  some  sickly 
and  weak  not  able  to  help  themselves,  much  less  to  make 
any  resistance  if  violence  be  offered.  The  news  that  we 
are  to  watch,  strikes  like  darts  to  the  Hearts  of  some 
of  our  wives  that  are  weak.  The  advantage  that  Indi- 
ans have  by  knowledge  that  such  and  such  families  are 
left  destitute  of  help  for  two  or  three  miles  about,  for 
example  there  were  19  warned  for  one  night  and  had 
they  all  gone  it  would  have  cleared  the  strength  of  two 
or  three  miles.  Salem,  a  populous  town  of  near  300 
able  persons,  with  a  fort,  pleads  that  these  are  danger- 
ous times  and  they  are  not  able  to  keep  a  watch  without 
us.  These  times  are  not  as  dangerous  to  Salem  town 
as  to  our  selves,  for  we  know  of  no  obligation  upon  the 
enemy  first  to  assault  Salem  Towne  when  they  may 
come  to  shore  at  divers  other  places  and  come  upon  us 
by  land  and  meet  neither  with  fort  nor  400  men  under 
the  warning  of  an  alarm.  Hath  Salem  town  not  more 
cause  to  send  help  to  us  than  we  to  go  to  them.  We 
have  not  50  persons  for  watch,  they  a  compact  town, 
we  so  scattered  that  6  or  8  watches  will  not  secure  us 
and  so  far  from  the  town  that  Cambridge  Village  or 
INIilton  may  as  easy  go  to  Boston  to  watch  as  we  to 
Salem,  and  leave  their  families  in  a  great  deal  more 
safety  because  they  have  towns  near  to  help  them." 
This  petition  was  signed  by  Job  Swinerton,  Sr.,  Robert 
Goodell,  Philip  Knight,  Jonathan  Knight,  Isaac 
Goodell,  Zachery  Goodell,  Robert  Prince,  Joseph 
Houlton,  Jonathan  Walcott,  Xathaniel  Ingerson,  Rob- 
ert Moulton,  John  Smith,  Nathaniel  Carrill,  Job  Swin- 


16  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

erton,  Jr.,  Thomas  Flint,  Giles  Cory,  Thomas  Small, 
Benjamin  Woodrow,  John  Leach,  Joshua  Rea,  James 
Hadlock,  John  Porter,  Richard  Hutchinson,  Jacob 
Barney,  Jr.,  Jacob  Barney,  Sr.,  Richard  Leach,  Na- 
thaniel Putnam,  Joseph  Hutchinson,  Henry  Kenny, 
Joseph  Porter,  John  Putnam.  As  a  result,  the  colony 
decreed  that  all  "Farmers'  who  lived  four  miles  from 
the  Salem  meeting  house  should  be  exempt.^ 

Petition  for  the  New  Parish  and  Boundaries. — 
At  length,  in  1670,  a  formal  petition-  was  presented 
to  the  town  of  Salem,  asking  for  a  separate  parochial 
organization.  The  petitioners  were  Thomas  Small,  Lott 
Kellum,  John  Smith,  John  Buxton,  John  Wilkins, 
Jonathan  Knight,  Philip  Knight,  Thomas  Flint,  John 
Hutchinson,  Richard  Hutchinson,  Job  Swinerton,  Rob- 
ert Goodale,  Nathaniel  Putnam,  Thomas  Fuller,  John 
Putnam,  Bray  Wilkins,  John  Gingill,  Nathaniel  Inger- 
soU,  Thomas  Putnam.  To  this  the  Villagers  received 
a  sort  of  half-hearted  assent. 

Another  petition  presented  to  the  General  Court  in 
1672  gave  them  the  authority  to  organize  a  parish,  hire 
a  minister,  and  erect  a  meeting  house,  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Village  to  be  taxed  for  the  support  of  the  same. 
Thus  they  were  released  from  longer  paying  taxes  to 
Salem  town  for  the  support  of  preaching.  The  new 
parish,  called  "Salem  Village  Parish,"  included  all  the 
families  living  in  the  territory  now  covered  by  Danvers 
(except  Danversport),  about  half  of  Peabody  and  a 
portion  of  Beverly. 

Explanation  of  "The  Parish." — This  territory 
was  set  off  for  parish  purposes  only.  A  parish  in  those 
days  did  not  signify  what  it  does  today.    It  was  distinct 

1  Mass.  Archives,  Vol.  112,  leaf  175, 

2  The  orig-inal  is  to  be  seen  at  the  First  Church  parsonage.     A  copy 
is   at  Town  Hall. 


JOHN  NICHOLS  HOUSE 
Built  about  1679.     Opened  as  "  Ferncroft  Inn  "  in  1S92     Destroyed  by  fire  May  11,  1906 


.OK.LK-IKADSTREET  HOUSE,  LOCUST  STRKET 

Built  about  ,665.  on  land  originally  granted  to  Emanuel  Downing,  by  Joseph  Porter,  who  received 

the  land  as  his  portion  upon  marriage  with  Anna,  daughter  of  Major  William  Hathorne. 

Came  into  possession  of  Captain  Dudley  Bradstreet  about  1810 


WHEN  TTE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  17 

from  the  church  organization.  The  parish  was,  in 
reahty,  the  town,  and  in  the  parish  meeting  all  matters 
relating  to  the  schools,  roads,  raising  of  men  and  money 
in  time  of  war,  as  well  as  the  support  of  preaching, 
were  discussed  and  acted  upon,  as  in  the  town  meetings 
of  the  present  day.  So  that  these  old  parish  records  are 
substantially  the  records  of  town  business  up  to  the 
time  the  Town  of  Danvers  was  set  off  from  Salem 
(1752). 

It  was  understood  that  no  church  organization  was 
to  be  formed  at  first  in  the  new  district.  The  Salem 
church  was  unwilling  to  part  at  once  with  such  a  large 
number  of  its  members.  Consequently,  during  the  first 
few  years  of  the  existence  of  the  parish,  the  people  still 
retained  their  membership  in  the  old  church  at  Salem. 

First  Meeting;  First  Meeting  House. — The 
"Farmers"  held  their  first  meeting  on  November  11, 
1672,  levied  their  taxes  and  engaged  Mr.  Bayley,  a 
young  man  of  twenty-two,  a  graduate  of  Harvard,  as 
their  first  minister  at  the  small  salary  of  forty  pounds 
a  year.  Mr.  Bajdey  was  a  well-meaning  man,  but  he 
was  inexperienced,  and  disagreements  between  him  and 
tile  people  characterized  his  pastorate.  The  following 
year  (1673)  the  first  meeting  house  was  erected.  It 
was  a  small,  rude  wooden  structure,  34  feet  long  and 
28  feet  wide.  In  addition  to  money  paid  by  the  people 
to  build  the  house,  butter  and  wheat  were  accepted, 
which  being  choice  articles  in  those  days  could  be 
readilj^  exchanged  for  nails  and  glass.  The  windows  of 
glass  were  made  to  swing  outward  in  opening,  and  in 
general  appearance  it  was  similar  to  other  houses  of 
that  period.  It  was  situated  on  land  given  by  Joseph 
Hutchinson,  in  the  field  now  corner  of  Hobart  and 
Forest  streets. 


18  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

Mr.  Bayley  afterwards  became  a  physician,  removing 
t«)  Roxbury.  He  died  in  1707.  Subsequent  ministers 
have  been:  George  Burroughs,  1680-83;  Deodat  Law- 
son,  1684-88;  Samuel  Parris,  1688-96;  Rev,  Joseph 
Green,  1698-1715;  Rev.  Peter  Clark,  1717-68;  Rev. 
Benj.  Wadsworth,  1772-1826;  Rev.  M.  P.  Braman, 
1826-61;  Rev.  C.  B.  Rice,  1863-94;  Rev.  C.  M.  Geer, 
1894-97;  Rev.  H.  C.  Adams,  1897-1910;  Rev.  C.  S. 
Bodwell,  1910-14;  Rev.  A.  V.  House,  1914. 

Salem  Village  Militia  and  Training  Place. — A 
marked  feature  of  the  men  of  Salem  Village  was  their 
military  spirit.  In  1671  a  military  company  was 
formed.  Adults  of  every  description  joined  it,  includ- 
ing men  much  beyond  middle  life.  Titles  of  rank  once 
obtained  in  the  militia  were  never  forsaken  by  the 
"Farmers."  Their  training  place  from  the  earliest  times 
was  the  "Common"  at  Danvers  Highlands,  which  was 
given  by  Deacon  Nathaniel  Ingersoll  in  his  will  of  1709, 
to  the  inhabitants  of  Salem  Village  for  a  training  place 
forever.  Here  the  sturdy  yeoman  learned  the  manual 
of  arms;  here  the  minute-men  rallied  for  the  march  to 
Lexington ;  and  in  all  the  wars  of  this  country  this  spot 
has  been  the  scene  of  numberless  drills.  The  boulder 
which  marks  the  field,  bears  the  following  inscription : 

Deacon  Nathaniel  Ingersoll 
1634-1719 

GAVE  THIS  LAND  TO  THE  INHABITANTS 

OF  Salem  Village  as 

A  Training  Place  Forever. 

to  the  memory  of  him,  and  of  the 

brave  men  who  have  gone  hence 

to   protect   their   homes   and   to 

serve  their  country,  this  stone 

is  erected  by  the 

Town,  1894. 


when  we  belonged  to  salem  19 

Salem  Village  in  King  Philip's  War;^  The 
Narragansett  Fight. — The  Village  was  largely  repre- 
sented in  all  the  engagements  of  the  terrible  war  known 
as  "King  Phihp's  War"  (1675-76) .  Philip  was  an  able 
and  great  Indian  leader.  From  the  moment  the  wliite 
man  landed,  he  saw  the  doom  of  the  Indian  sealed.  He 
had  exchanged  the  rude  bow  and  arrow  for  the  English 
musket,  and  flattered  himself  that  he  would  be  the  more 
prepared  to  meet  the  redman's  foe.  For  many  years  he 
remained  friendly  to  the  settlers,  but  his  nature  revolted 
at  the  growing  encroachments  of  the  English,  and  in 
1675  he  struck  the  fearful  blows  that  sent  consternation 
throughout  the  Colony.  He  fought  bravely  for  two 
years,  his  warriors  surprising,  attacking  and  burning 
towns  all  over  the  colony,  but  at  last  he  was  surrounded 
by  a  force  of  English  soldiers,  and  shot  as  mercilessly  as 
he  had  dealt  with  the  colonists.  At  the  storming  of 
Narragansett  Fort,  December  19,  1675,  were  five  men^ 
from  Salem  Village,  who  served  in  Capt.  Prentice's 
troop  of  horse,^  and  seven^  in  the  command  of  Major 
Samuel  Appleton.  Capt.  Joseph  Gardner,  who  was  a 
man  of  much  importance  in  Salem,  commanded  a  com- 
pany, nine^  of  whom  were  from  the  Village.  Captain 
Davenport,  another  native  of  Salem  Village,  had  com- 
mand of  a  force  and  fell  in  the  fight.  When  killed,  he 
was  dressed  in  a  buff  suit.  These  men  in  the  heart  of 
the  winter  penetrated  the  fastnesses  of  the  Indians  and 

1  See  "Soldiers  in  King-  Philip's  War,"  by  Rev.  G.  M.  Bodge. 

2  They  were  Thomas  Putnam,  Jr.,  Thomas  Flint,  Sr.,  Joseph  Hutch- 
inson, Henry  Kenney  and  Thomas  Howard. 

3  Horse  companies  were  composed  of  fifty  men,  with  a  captain,  lieu- 
tenant, trumpeter,  quartermaster,  sergeants,  clerk,  corporals  and  cor- 
net, the  latter  in  place  of  the  drummer  of  the  foot  companies, 

4  They  were  Israel  Herrick,  Thomas  Abbey,  John  Raymond,  Robert 
Leach,  Samuel  Hebbert,  Stephen  Butler,  Samuel  Verry. 

5  They  were  Joseph  Houlton,  Jr.,  Tliomas  Flint,  Thomas  Kenney, 
John  Stacey,  Eleazer  Lyndsey,  Thomas  Bell,  Charles  Knight,  Isaac 
Reed,  William  Hathorne. 


20  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

in  the  face  of  a  fearful  fire  attacked  the  forts  of  the 
enemy.  There  were  nine^  others  from  the  Village  in 
the  Narragansett  fight,  making  a  total  of  thirty-eight 
in  that  expedition  alone.  Eight  more"  were  in  Capt. 
Nicholas  Page's  company  of  troopers  in  the  expedition 
against  Mount  Hope,  the  home  of  Phihp,  the  same 
year. 

Villagers  Killed  at  Bloody  Brook. — By  far  the 
most  terrible  engagement  of  the  war  was  the  famous 
conflict  at  Bloody  Brook,  in  Deerfield,  on  Sept.  18, 
1675,  when  Capt.  Thomas  Lothrop  and  seventy-  one  of 
his  men,  almost  entirely  from  Essex  county,  were  slain 
by  the  Indians.  Capt.  Lothrop  was  one  of  the  tax 
payers  of  Salem  Village,  although  his  home  was  in  the 
present  Beverly.  He  married  Bethia  Rea,  who  lived  at 
the  Rea-Putnam-Eowler  house,  off  Locust  street,  Put- 
namville.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Daniel  Rea,  who 
was  granted  land  in  that  locality  in  1632,  and  who  prob- 
ably built  the  house  now  standing,  owned  by  the  Fowler 
estate.  His  undaunted  courage  had  won  for  him  much 
fame  in  the  earlier  Indian  wars,  and  many  young  men 
from  the  best  families  in  the  colony  eagerly  joined  his 
company.  For  this  reason,  the  companj?^  was  known 
as  "The  Flower  of  Essex."  They  were  surprised  when 
off  their  guard  by  a  band  of  Indians,  and  a  wholesale 
slaughter  ensued.  Indeed,  the  brook  near  by  was  said 
to  have  been  dyed  red  with  the  blood  of  the  soldiers, 
from  which  fact  it  has  always  been  known  as  "Bloody 

1  They  were  Joseph  Proctor,  Nathaniel  Ingersoll,  Wm.  Osborn,  Jo- 
seph Needham,  Francis  Coard,  Benj.  Wilkins,  John  Whipple,  Daniel 
Wilkins. 

2  They  were!  John  Dodge,  Win.  Dodge,  Joseph  Herrick,  Thomas  Abbey, 
Wm.  Kaymond,  Thomas  Raymond,  Thomas  Putnam,  Jr.,  Eobert  Leach, 
Peter  Pi-escott. — Massachusetts  Archives. 


GENERAL    COURT 

HeU  at  Bofton  the  i^-  of  May 
16-16 


For  defraying  the  Charges  already  expended  upon  the  VVarre, 
and  other  Charges  arifing  in  the  further  profecution  thereof, 
It  is  Ordered  by  thisCourt  and  the  Authority  thereof,  that  there 
Hiall  be  ten  fingle  Countrcy  Rates  forthwith  alTcfTcd,  and  collcdcd 
according  to  Lsw,  to  be  paid  in  fpecie  as  formerly*,  and  to  abate  one  quar- 
ter part  to  any  that  fha'I  pay  money.  Alfo  that  the  Seled  Men  be  allowed 
,and  impowf  red  to  rate  luch  by  Will  and  Doom  as  are  known  to  be  men 
of  ability,  whole  eQatcs  in  a  great  meafurelye  out  of  the  reach  of  the 
Law  being  undifcovcredjWithout  abatement  on  accoifnt  of  any  mans  pay- 
ing for  importation  of  Goods,  and  in  cafeof  aggrievanceby  ovcr-valua- 
tio.i, relict  be  to  given  to  fuch  in  fuch  a  way  as  the  Liw  provides:  Provided, 
that  (uch  frontier  Towns  as  are  confiderably  weaknedin  mens  Perfons 
orEftarcs  by  the  Enemy,  be  allowed  ameer  abatement  of  their  propor- 
tions in  the  Rates,  their  Conditon  being  by  their  Dcputycsorothcrs  ap-" 
pointed,  reprefcnted  to  this  Court  at  their  next  SelTions  :•  And  where  any 
jPerfons  in  any  of  ihe  Towns  have  disburfcd  for  the  publick  relating 
to  the  Wjrr,  they  (liall  be  allowed  and  paid  the  fame  out  of  the  Rates  of 
fuch  Towns  where  they  dwells  and  that  this  fliallbe  in  the  toom  of  all 
bills  for  aiTcfling  of  Rates  paffed  this  SelTions  of  Court. 


By  the  COURT  Edward  ^an>fon  Sccr. 

ACT  OF  THE  GENERAL  COURT  IN  1676,  FOR  THE  RAISING  OF  MONEY  TO 
DEFRAY  EXPENSES  OF  THE  INDIAN  WAR 

From  a  broadside  in  tlie  Essex  County  Quarterly  Court  Files 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  21 

Brook."     The  brave  captain  and  ten  young  men  from 
the  Village  were  among  the  massacred/ 

"But  beating  hearts,  far,  far  away. 
Broke  at  the  story's  fearful  truth, 
And  maidens  sweet,  for  many  a  day 
Wept  o'er  the  vanished  dreams  of  youth ; 
By  the  blue  distant  ocean-tide 
Wept  3^ears,  lono-  years,  to  hear  them  tell 
How  bv  the  wild  wood's  lonelv  side 
The  'Flower  of  Essex'  fell."  ' 

Erection  of  Watch  House. — According  to  the 
custom  of  the  early  settlers,  a  watch  house  was  erected 
in  1676  on  the  rise  which  is  now  the  parsonage  pasture 
at  Danvers  Highlands.  Formerly  there  was  a  consider- 
able elevation  at  this  point,  being  a  favorable  place  for  a 
watch  house,  which  was  designed  for  observation  and 
defence  against  the  Indians.  It  was  probably  a  strong 
building  of  logs.  This  elevation  was  called  "Watch 
House  Hill"  for  many  years. 

Killed  by  the  Indians. — When  the  settlers  of  Sa- 
lem landed,  the  Indians  had  vacated  their  former  haunts, 
and  thus  history  has  no  tales  of  mJdnight  massacre  and 
sudden  ambuscade  in  this  immediate  locality.  However, 
when  men  wandered  into  the  outskirts  of  the  town 
through  what  was  then  a  wilderness  they  took  their  lives 
in  their  hands.  In  1689,  John  Bishop  and  Nicholas 
Reed,  and  the  following  year,  Godfrey  Sheldon,  all 
young  men,  were  killed  by  the  Indians  in  the  woods. 

Chukch  Organized. — It  was  not  for  seventeen 
years   (1689)   after  the  Salem  Village  Parish  was  set 

1  Killed  from  the  Villao-e  weTe :  Thomas  Dayley,  Edward  Trask, 
Josiah  Dodpre,  Peter  Woodbury.  Joseph  Raich,  Thomas  Buckley,  .Joseph 
Kincr.  Piobert  Wilson,  James  Tufts,  Thomas  Smith,  the  latter  a  native 
of  Ne'\vburv,  but  then  a  resident  of  the  Villa^'e. 


22  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

off  from  Salem,  that  the  church  itself  was  organized. 
A  covenant  or  agreement  was  drawn  up,  to  which  the 
people  assented  in  order  to  become  members,  in  much 
the  same  manner  as  at  present.  The  new  organization 
was  called  "The  Church  of  Christ  at  Salem  Village," 
and  was  the  beginning  of  the  First  Church,  Danvers 
Highlands,  of  today.^ 

THE  PROVINCE  CHARTER;   THE  WITCH- 
CRAFT DELUSION. 

The  New  Charter. — After  the  surrender  of  the 
Colonial  Charter  (1684)  until  1692,  the  government 
was  in  the  hands  of  a  president  and  council  for  a  time. 
Then  Sir  Edmund  Andros  took  the  reins  of  govern- 
ment, but  he  levied  taxes  in  such  an  abhorrent  fashion 
and  behaved  in  general  in  such  an  obnoxious  manner, 
that  when  William  and  Mary  came  to  the  throne  in 
England,  he  was  recalled. 

King  William  was  determined  to  form  a  new  govern- 
ment in  Massachusetts.  It  was  to  be  known  as  the 
Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  included  the  Ply- 
mouth Colony  and  the  Province  of  Maine,  in  addition  to 
the  Massachusetts  colony.  The  Charter  was  received 
in  1692,  and  in  the  spring  of  that  year  Sir  William 
Phips,  the  new  Governor,  arrived  in  Boston. 

How  THE  New  Charter  Differed  from  the  Old. 
— The  new  Charter  provided  that  the  officers  of  the  new 
Province  should  consist  of  a  Governor,  Deputy-Gover- 
nor and  Secretary,  to  be  appointed  by  the  King,  instead 
of  the  people.  This  restricted  the  liberty  of  the  people, 
and  may  be  regarded  as  the  source  of  all  future  troubles 
with  the  mother  country.     The  Charter  provided  that 

1  The  records  of  the  Church  have  been  restored,  and  are  deposited 
in  the  First  Church  parsonage  at  Danvers  Centre. 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  23 

the  twenty-eight  councillors  should  be  chosen  by  the 
people,  and  gave  each  town  the  authority  to  send  two 
deputies  to  the  General  Court.  But  for  all  this  seeming 
freedom,  the  power  was  in  the  hands  of  the  King,  and 
the  colonies  became  henceforth  dependencies  of  the 
Crown. 

The  Witchcraft  Delusion;  First  Symptoms. — 
The  covenant  to  which  the  people  subscribed  in  the  new 
church  at  Salem  Village  certainly  promised  better  things 
than  what  followed  in  the  terrible  tragedy  known  as 
the  witchcraft  delusion,  which  broke  out  in  1692.  The 
delusion  originated  in  the  family  of  Rev.  Samuel  Par- 
ris,^  the  pastor  of  the  church,  who,  instead  of  prevent- 
ing the  spread  of  the  trouble  as  he  might  easily  have 
done  in  the  beginning,  rather  urged  on  the  accusations 
and  persecutions.  Parris  had  been  a  merchant  in  the 
West  Indies  before  entering  the  ministry,  and  the  study 
of  the  gospel  seemed  not  to  modulate  his  naturally 
grasping  nature.  He  brought  with  him  an  Indian 
woman  named  Tituba,  as  a  servant,  who,  like  others  of 
Iier  race,  was  full  of  strange  weird  tales,  which  she  re- 
lated to  the  amusement  of  the  children  of  the  neighbor- 
hood. This  was  an  age  of  superstition,  and  the  stories 
had  a  bad  effect  upon  the  easily  excited  natures  of  the 
people.  Children  of  varying  ages  were  accustomed  to 
meet  eveninfr's  at  INIr.  Parris's  house  for  the  practice  of 
palmistry  and  other  magic  arts,  in  which  Tituba  and 
her  stories  figured  prominently.  Soon  the  young  girls" 
began  to  practice  the  little  tricks  they  had  learned,  and 

1  Parris  was  in  trouble  with  his  parishioners  continually,  and  at  the 
close  of  the  witchcraft  delusion  he  became  even  more  unpopular.  At 
last,  after  many  disp^ites,  he  resigned  in  1696. 

2  They  were  Elizabeth  Parris,  aged  9,  daughter  of  the  minister, 
Abigail  Williams,  aged  11.  Ann  Putnam,  aged  12,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Putnam,  the  parish  clerk,  iViary  Walcott,  Mercy  Le^\'^s  and  Elizabeth 
Hubbard,  aged  17,  Elizabeth  Booth,  Susannah  Sheldon,  ISfary  Warren 
and    Sarah    Churchill,    adults. 


24  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

excited  by  the  sport  and  the  impression  they  made  on 
their  parents  and  friends,  they  foohshly  continued  their 
antics  until  they  were  in  reaHty  wrought  up  to  a  point 
of  frenzy. 

To  say  that  their  parents  and  friends  were  shocked 
at  their  actions  does  not  half  express  it.  They  knew 
not  whether  to  scold  or  to  pity,  and  with  their  natural 
tendency  to  attribute  everything  they  could  not  under- 
stand to  the  supernatural,  they  thought  the  evil  spirit 
had  taken  possession  of  them.  Then  they  held  prayer 
meetings  for  the  benefit  of  the  afflicted  ones.  At  last 
Dr.  Griggs^  was  called,  and  he  calmly  and  without  hesi- 
tation pronounced  it  witchcraft."  Thus  did  ignorance 
place  the  seal  of  doom  upon  the  Village. 

More  Strange  Actions;  The  First  Accused. — 
The  condition  of  affairs  as  soon  as  it  became  known 
that  there  were  witches  in  the  Village  is  not  difficult  to 
imagine.  The  people  at  once  gave  way  to  superstitious 
fears,  and  such  a  commotion  was  never  seen  before,  and 
has  not  been  seen  since  in  the  new  world.  If  these  chil- 
dren had  become  witches,  surely  someone  must  have 
bewitched  them,  the  people  reasoned,  and  the  thing  to 
do  was  to  find  the  guilty  ones.  Accordingly,  the  ques- 
tion was  put  to  the  "afflicted  children,"  as  they  were 
called,  "Who  has  bewitched  you?  Give  us  the  names!" 
By  this  time  the  children  had  become  so  frightened  at 
the  great  excitement  which  had  grown  out  of  their  first 
harmless  tricks,  that  they  seemed  almost  about  to  con- 
fess that  it  was  their  own  willful  desire  for  a  sensation 
that  had  started  the  whole  trouble.  But  the  fear  of  the 
older  people  was  contagious,  and  stimulated  by  the 
urgent  supplications  of  their  parents  and  friends  to  tell 

iThe  first  physician  at   Salem  Village.     He  lived  near  Folly  Hill, 
then  known  as  Leach's  Hill.     See  Danvers  Historical  Collections,*Vol.  6. 
2  See  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes'  "The  Broomstick  Train." 


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L      • 

PUTNAM-CRAW  FOR  D  HOUSE 

Built  in  i6q7,  by  Sergt.  Thomas  Putnam,  whose  daughter,  Ann  Putnam,  was  one  of 

the  "  afflicted  children  ''  of  i6g2 


PRINCE-OSBORNE  HOUSE 

Built  about  1660,  by  Robert  Prince,  whose  widow  Sarah  (Prince)  Osborne  was  accused  of 

witchcraft.    The  house  was  removed  in  1916  from  Spring  Street  to  Maple  Street, 

and  remodelled  into  a  modern  dwelling. 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  25 

who  had  cast  such  a  spell  upon  them,  they  began  to  cry 
out  against  the  old  Indian  woman,  Tituba,  and  other 
poor,  half-crazy  women  of  the  neighborhood. 

Still  they  were  not  satisfied,  and  these  young  "play 
actors"  added  to  their  accomplishments  by  interrupting 
the  minister  in  the  midst  of  his  discourse  with  crazy 
speeches,  by  having  fits  and  fainting  spells,  and  by 
accusing  persons  of  their  acquaintance  of  pinching  them 
and  sticking  pins^  into  them.  At  first  onlj^  feeble-minded 
outcasts  were  accused,  but  before  the  delusion  ended 
some  of  the  most  prominent  and  saintly  people  of  the 
neighborhood  became  victims.  It  is  also  significant 
that  many  of  the  victims  had  been  previously  mixed  up 
in  the  petty  quarrels  of  the  neighborhood,  and  it  ap- 
peared to  be  a  good  chance  to  pay  off  old  grudges. 

Examinations  of  Accused. — The  first  of  the  ac- 
cused were  examined  in  the  meeting  house  before  a  large 
concourse  of  people  by  the  magistrates,  Jonathan  Cor- 
win^  and  John  Hathorne.^  They  were  the  Indian  wo- 
man, Sarah  Good,  a  poor  beggar,and  Sarah  Osborn,^ 
whose  mind  was  imbalanced.  Sarah  Good  testified  that 
Sarah  O shorn  had  bewitched  her,  and  the  latter  was 
taken  to  Boston  jail  where  she  soon  died.  Tituba,  the 
cause  of  the  awful  delusion,  was  allowed  her  freedom, 

1  Somef  of  these  pins  used  in  the  prosecutions  are  now  to  be  seen 
in  tlie  oflRee  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Courts,  Salem. 

2  His  house  is  now  known  as  the  "Old  Witch  House."  corner  North 
and  Essex  streets,  Salem,  where  it  is  supposed  some  of  the  examina- 
tions took  place. 

3  Son  of  Major  Wm.  Hathorne,  and  was  born  in  Salem,  August  4, 
1641.  He  served  on  the  bench  of  the  Superior  Court  until  his  resig- 
nation in  1712.     He  died  in   Salem,  May  10,  1717. 

4  Wife  of  Robert  Prince,  who  built,  in  1660,  the  house  formerly  on 
Spring  street,  moved  in  1916  to  IMaple  street.  After  his  death  she 
married  Alexander  Osborn,  who  had  comei  here  from  Ireland,  a  redemp- 
tioner.  It  is  said  that  Sarah  Prince  bought  out  his  time  of  the  man 
he  was  serving,  hired  him  to  work  on  her  farm,  and  afterward 
married  him. 


26  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

her  foolish  prattle  seeming  to  convince  the  officials  that 
she  was  a  victim  of  others'  sorcery. 

Action  Taken  by  Ministers  and  Magistrates; 
Cotton  Mather. — Soon  the  contagion  spread,  and  no 
one  in  the  neighborhood  was  safe  from  accusation.  The 
slightest  movement  from  the  ordinary  course  was  suffi- 
cient to  cause  arrest  and  perhaps  imprisonment  and 
death.  Even  the  ministers,  particularly  Rev.  Nicholas 
Noyes^  of  the  Salem  church,  were  drawn  into  the  pop- 
ular delusion,  and  instead  of  attempting  to  suppress  it, 
they  considered  it  their  duty  to  aid  the  persecutions  and 
in  that  way  to  fight  the  Evil  One.  The  magistrates, 
also,  whose  superior  knowledge  ought  to  have  given 
them  more  common  sense,  did  all  in  their  power  to  sen- 
tence the  accused.  TsTo  wonder  is  it  that  the  common 
people  believed  in  witchcraft,  when  such  leaders  as  these 
gave  it  their  sanction  and  support. 

Cotton  Mather  was  one  of  the  most  cruel  and  bitter 
adversaries.  He  was  the  most  learned  person  in  the 
country,  which  makes  his  behavior  in  this  crisis  seem 
almost  unaccountable.  He  attempted  to  incite  a  similar 
movement  in  Boston,  but  failed,  and  then  he  redoubled 
his  energy  in  the  Salem  affair.  He  was  extremely  well 
satisfied  with  his  own  ability  in  everj^  direction,^  and 
believed  he  was  doing  God's  work  when  he  obtained 
the  sentence  of  death  upon  his  helpless  victims. 

Giles  and  Martha  Corey. — Giles  Corey,  one  of  the 
most  unpopular  men  in  the  Village,  over  eighty  years 
of  age,  was  a  constant  attendant  at  the  examinations 
in  the  meeting  house.    He  became  infatuated  with  the 

1  Graduate  of  Harvard  in  1667.  Ordained  pastor  of  Salem  church, 
1683. 

2  "He  was  ambitious,  and  would  he  leadino-,  sword  in  hand,  to 
annihilate  someone  or  something.  In  the  name  of  God  he  would 
conquer,  and  make  Cotton  Mather  famous.  Most  men  hoped  to  become 
ang-els,  but  nothincr.  if  we  may  .iudg-e  from  his  own  ^vords.  w^ould  have 
contented  him  but  to  be  an  archangel." — Upham's  Outlines. 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  27 

proceedings,  much  to  the  discomfort  of  his  wife  Martha, 
who  was  a  good  Christian  woman.  She  stands  out  as 
one  of  the  few  who  did  not  beheve  in  witchcraft.  For 
her  persistency  in  declaring  against  the  popular  belief, 
she  was  arrested,  and  was  among  the  first  executed, 
September  22,  1692,  on  Gallows  Hill.  She  protested 
her  innocency  to  the  last.  Giles,  filled  with  retribution 
at  his  wife's  imprisonment,  came  to  his  senses,  but  it 
was  too  late.  He,  too,  was  arrested  on  April  19,  1692, 
and  excommunicated  from  the  church.  By  this  time  he 
had  full}'-  awakened  to  the  monstrosity  of  the  prevailing 
delusion.  Brought  to  trial,  he  refused  to  speak  a  word 
either  in  refutation  or  acknowledgment  of  the  charges 
against  him.  This  was  a  penal  oflFence  according  to  an 
old  English  law,  the  punishment  consisting  of  laying 
the  prisoner  nearly  naked  on  the  bare  floor  of  a  prison 
cell  and  placing  a  heavy  iron  weight  upon  his  chest  until 
he  should  make  reply.  This  was  Giles  Corey's  expia- 
tion. The  old  man  never  spoke.  He  died  three  days 
before  his  wife  was  executed,  a  martyr  to  ignorance  and 
superstition. 

Rebecca  Xurse. — Among  the  people  of  Salem  Vil- 
lage there  were  none  more  respected  than  Francis  Nurse 
and  his  wife  Rebecca.  They  lived  comfortably  on  the 
Townsend-Bishop  farm,^  and  withheld  themselves  from 
the  prevalent  superstition.  Rebecca  Nurse  was  seventy 
years  of  age,  a  pious  Christian  woman,  the  mother  of  a 
large  family,  and  at  this  time  in  feeble  health.  This 
saintly  woman  was  meted  out  as  a  victim  of  the  insane 
delusion,  and  when  two  of  her  friends  called  to  tell  her 

1  Townsend  Bishop  erected  this  house  in  1636,  on  a  grant  of  land 
which  was  made  to  him  by  tlie  town  of  Salem  in  that  year.  It 
adjoined  the!  Governor  Endecott  g'rant.  It  was  afterwards  bong-ht  by 
tlie  Governor,  and  later  passed  into  the  hands  of  Nurse.  It  is  now 
the  property  of  the  Rebecca  Nurse  Association,  which  purchased  the 
estate  in  1907. 


28  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

of  the  dreadful  calamity  about  to  befall  her,  she  received 
the  news  with  calm  resignation  as  she  did  later  the  ex- 
aminations to  which  she  was  subjected.  A  paper  sii^ned 
by  thirty-nine  of  her  friends^  of  the  highest  respectability 
in  the  Village,  attesting  her  blameless  character,  was 
offered  at  her  trial.  This  together  with  her  firmness  in 
answering  to  the  charges  against  her,  induced  the  jury 
to  bring  in  a  verdict  of  "Not  Guilty."  This  infuriated 
the  mob.  The  magistrates  were  frightened,  ordered  the 
verdict  withdrawn,  and  sentenced  the  poor  woman  to 
death.  She  was  executed,  and  her  body  thrown  with 
others  into  holes  among  the  rocks  of  Gallows  Hill, 
witches  not  being  allowed  Christian  burial.  As  she 
ascended  the  scaffold  she  said,  "I  am  innocent,  and  God 
will  clear  my  innocency."  Family  tradition  says  that 
her  husband  and  sons  recovered  her  body  and  buried  it 
under  the  pines  near  her  old  home,  where  a  monument 
was  erected  to  her  memory  in  1 885  by  the  Nurse  Asso- 
ciation.   The  following  inscription  is  engraved  thereon: 

"Oh,  Christian  Martyr!  who  for  truth  could  die, 
When  all  about  thee  owned  the  hideous  lie, 
The  world  redeemed  by  Superstition's  sway 
Is  breathing  freer  for  thy  sake  today." 

— Whitiier. 

Joseph  Putnam's  Protestations. — One  of  the 
brightest  spots,  if  there  were  any  such  in  those  trying 
times,  was  the  conduct  of  Joseph  Putnam.  He  was  a 
young  man  of  only  twenty-two,  yet  he  dared  to  declare 
himself  unequivocally  against  the  whole  witchcraft  pro- 
ceedings from  the  beginning.  Such  a  course  required  a 
courage  of  which  the  people  of  today  can  have  little  con- 
ception.   He  fearlessly  absented  himself  from  meeting, 

1  a  stone  to  the  memory  of  these  loving  friends  has  been  erected 
in  the  Nurse  burying  ground. 


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REBECCA  NURSE  HOUSE 

Built  abiLit  1636,  by  Townsend  Bishop.     Purchased  by  Governor  Endecott,  in  1648. 

Later  in  possession  of  the  Rev.  John  Allen,  of  Boston,  who  sold  to  Francis  Nurse,  in  1678. 

House  open  to  visitors  upon  payment  of  a  small  admission  fee 


THE  TRIAL  OF  GEORGE   JACOBS 
From  a  painting  by  Matteson,  in  possession  of  the  Essex  Institute,  Salem 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  29 

which  meant  much  in  those  days  when  everybody  at- 
tended service,  and  even  went  so  far  as  to  take  his  infant 
child  to  Salem  to  be  baptized.  He  pronounced  the 
whole  thing  a  delusion  and  a  fraud,  notwithstanding 
his  brothers  were  very  active  in  the  accusations. 
Strangely  enough,  too,  while  others  who  had  uttered 
only  the  faintest  protestations  against  the  proceedings 
were  executed,  Joseph  Putnam  was  left  severely  alone. 
Probably  they  thought  that  it  would  be  easier  to  con- 
vict feeble  old  women  than  a  man  in  the  vigor  of  youth. 
For  six  months  he  kept  one  of  his  horses  under  saddle 
night  and  day,  ready  to  ride  out  of  the  country  should 
he  be  accused.  He  and  his  family  were  constantly  armed, 
and  he  gave  fair  warning  that  if  anybody  attempted 
to  arrest  him,  it  would  be  at  the  peril  of  life.  Had 
there  been  more  Joseph  Putnams,  there  would  have  been 
no  witchcraft  delusion.  He  was  the  father  of  Gen. 
Israel  Putnam.  His  brother,  Thomas  Putnam,  was  the 
father  of  Ann  Putnam,  before  mentioned. 

George  Jacobs. — Another  of  the  victims  of  the  mania 
was  George  Jacobs,  an  old  man,  of  unusual  height  and 
with  long  white  locks.  He  lived  with  his  son  and  family 
in  the  house  still  standing  at  the  Jacobs  farm  off  Waters 
street,  Danversport.  The  whole  family,  except  the 
small  children,  were  accused,  but  the  grandfather  was 
the  only  one  executed,  on  August  19,  1692,  the  son  flee- 
ing for  his  life.  When  on  trial  he  said:  "Well,  burn 
me  or  hang  me,  I  will  stand  in  the  truth  of  Christ." 
The  bod}^  of  George  Jacobs  was  found  by  the  grandson 
of  the  aged  man  after  the  execution,  and  strapping  it 
on  the  back  of  a  horse,  he  brought  it  to  the  farm  and 
buried  it. 

The  Rich  Accused;  The  Last  Days. — It  seemed 
at  last  as  if  the  only  way  to  prevent  accusation  was  to 
become  an  accuser,  and  a  perfect  panic  ensued.     Not 


30  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

only  were  the  poor  attacked,  but  those  of  the  highest 
standing  in  the  community  became  victims,  and  even 
the  ministers  came  in  for  a  share  of  the  pubhc  dis- 
approval. Rev.  Mr.  Burroughs,  a  former  minister  at 
Salem  Village  being  among  those  who  lost  their  lives. 

But  the  last  days  were  at  hand,  and  the  death  blow 
was  given  the  panic  when  the  wife  of  Rev.  John  Hale, 
of  the  Beverly  church,  was  accused.  She  was  a  noble 
woman,  and  so  unjust  seemed  such  a  charge  that  the 
people  suddenly  awoke  to  a  realization  of  the  awfulness 
of  the  situation.  From  that  time  the  storm  ceased,  and 
the  most  outrageous  tragedy  ever  enacted  in  the  moral 
world  was  over.  Governor  Phips  ordered  that  no  more 
cases  of  witchcraft  be  tried.  The  prisons  were  full  of 
suspected  witches.  The  doors  were  now  opened  and 
the  occupants  once  more  stepped  out  into  God's  free 
air.  Twenty  had  sacrificed  their  lives  during  the  delu- 
sion. They  were:  Bridget  Bishop,  Sarah  Good,  Sarah 
Wildes,  Elizabeth  How,  Rebecca  Nurse,  Susanna  Mar- 
tin, George  Burroughs,  John  Proctor,  George  Jacobs, 
John  Willard,  Martha  Carrier,  Martha  Corey,  Mary 
Easty,  Alice  Parker,  Ann  Pudeator,  Margaret  Scott, 
Wilmot  Reed,  Samuel  Wardwell,  Mary  Parker,  Giles 
Corey,  Sarah  Osborn. 

SCHOOL   ESTABLISHED;  DEMANDS   FOR 

A  TOWN. 

The  New  Meeting  House. — It  was  now  nearly 
thirty  years  since  the  first  meeting  house  was  built.  It 
was  considerably  out  of  repair,  was  becoming  too  small 
for  the  increasing  population,  and  as  the  scene  of  so 
many  examinations  during  the  witchcraft  daj^s  the  asso- 
ciations were  decidedly  unpleasant.  In  1700  the  parish 
voted  to  erect  a  meeting  house  on  Watch  House  Hill, 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  31 

the  land  being  given  by  Deacon  Nathaniel  Ingersoll. 
The  dimensions  of  the  new  building  were  48  by  42  feet. 
It  had  a  sort  of  tower  and  a  hip  roof,  and  there  were 
galleries  within.  The  cost  was  three  hundred  and  thirty 
pounds,  old  tenor,  which  sum  was  raised  partially  by 
subscription.  It  was  over  a  year  in  process  of  construc- 
tion, and  is  supposed  to  have  been  built  by  Capt.  Thomas 
Flint.  The  "Farmers"  showed  natural  shrewdness  in 
one  instance,  at  least,  which  is  worthy  of  mention. 
They  voted  that  all  who  had  their  way  to  the  meeting 
house  shortened  b}^  the  change  of  location  should  do  the 
work  of  levelling  the  new  ground,  and  they  clinched  it 
by  further  declaring  that  the  building  should  not  "be 
raised"  until  levelling  had  been  completed.  It  was  in 
this  building  that  all  the  town  affairs  were  conducted 
up  to  1752. 

Seating  of  the  Meeting  House. — It  was  the  old 
custom  to  appoint  a  committee  to  "seat  the  meeting 
house,"  that  is,  to  assign  the  seats  to  the  various  persons 
in  the  parish.  They  were  seated  first  according  to  age, 
then  office,  and  last,  taxes.  Families  were  separated, 
the  men  on  one  side,  the  women  on  the  other,  rough 
benches  serving  as  seats  in  the  body  of  the  house.  This 
custom  prevailed  for  many  years. 

Early  French  Wars. — Salem  Village  was  repre- 
sented in  all  the  early  French  and  Indian  wars.  During 
Queen  Anne's  war  (1702-13)  eight  men  from  the  Vil- 
lage were  impressed  into  service  to  help  man  the  "Fly- 
ing Horse"  of  Salem  (1703).^  This  was  an  armed 
cruiser  which  was  fitted  out  in  Salem  for  protection 
from  the  maraudings  of  Spanish  pirates  along  the  coast. 
On  July  3,  1706,  a  garrison  was  stormed  at  Dunstable, 
and  Holyoke,  son  of  Edward  Putnam  of  Salem  Village, 

1  See  Hanson's  "History  of  Danvers,"  page  39. 


32  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

and  three  other  soldiers  were  killed.  August  28,  1708, 
upon  alarm  that  the  French  and  Indians  were  attacking 
Haverhill,  a  company  of  foot  and  troop  of  horse  from 
the  Village  hastened  to  the  rescue  of  the  inhabitants, 
and  pursued  the  flying  Indians  for  some  distance. 
Rev.  Joseph  Green,  the  worthy  pastor  of  the  church, 
seized  his  gun  and  joined  with  his  parishioners  in  the 
pursuit. 

Middle  Precinct  Set  Off. — Like  the  people  of  the 
Village,  those  residing  in  the  section  now  Peabody,  de- 
sired to  set  up  a  parish  of  their  own.  Some  had  been 
connected  with  the  Village  parish,  but  the  majority 
were  members  of  the  church  in  Salem.  They,  too,  found 
the  distance  to  Salem  too  great,  and  in  answer  to  a 
petition  presented  at  the  town  meeting  in  Salem  in  1710, 
a  lot  of  land  was  granted,^  and  the  Middle  Precinct  was 
established.  A  meeting  house  51  by  38  feet  was  com- 
pleted the  following  year.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev. 
Benjamin  Prescott.  At  the  request  of  Bray  Wilkins, 
that  part  of  the  present  town  of  Middleton  known  in 
early  days  as  "Bellingham's  Grant,"  was  also  included 
in  the  Middle  Precinct. 

Judge  Timothy  Lindall. — Early  in  the  18th  cen- 
tury, people  of  Salem  began  to  look  to  Danvers,  still 
called  Salem  Village,  as  a  place  for  permanent  resi- 
dence. Thus  it  happened  that  in  1715  Judge  Timothy 
Lindall  purchased  at  "Porter's  Plain,"  so-called,  a  large 
tract  of  land  and  a  house  which  had  been  built  by  Israel 
Porter  in  the  latter  part  of  the  17th  century.  Here  he 
lived  until  his  death  in  1760,  cultivating  his  farm  and 
entering  into  the  religious  and  civil  life  of  the  com- 
munity. The  memory  of  Judge  Lindall  is  still  pre- 
served by  "Lindall  Hill,"  which  was  a  part  of  his  farm, 

1  The  site  of  the  South  Church,  Peabody  Square. 


X.   s 


o  o 


HOULTON-WILKINS  HOUSE,  CENTRE  STREET 
Built  by  John  Houlton,  before  1692 


THOMAS  HAINES  HOUSE,  CENTRE  STREET 
Built  probably  soon  after  16S1 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  33 

the  house  in  which  he  lived,  of  the  17th  century  lean-to 
type,  situated  at  the  corner  of  Locust  and  Poplar  streets, 
having  been  demolished  when  the  George  W.  Fiske 
house  was  erected  in  1882. 

Judge  Lindall  came  from  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished families  in  Massachusetts,  his  father,  Timothy 
Lindall,  being  a  prominent  merchant  and  owner  of  ves- 
sels in  Salem,  and  his  mother  belonging  to  the  Verens, 
that  well-known  family  which  figured  as  court  officials 
for  years.  Rev.  Benjamin  Wadsworth,  President  of 
Harvard  College,  was  his  cousin,  whose  nephew  later, 
curiously  enough,  came  to  Danvers  as  pastor  of  the 
First  Church,  the  church  which  Judge  Lindall  attended 
and  to  which  he  presented  a  silver  communion  cup.  He 
graduated  from  Harvard  in  1695,  at  the  age  of  eighteen, 
and  for  twenty  years  thereafter  was  a  successful  mer- 
chant in  Boston  and  Salem.  By  his  first  wife,  Jane 
Pool,  he  had  five  children,  and  by  his  second  wife, 
Bethiah  Kitchen,  daughter  of  the  Salem  merchant  Rob- 
ert Kitchin,  he  had  two.  Of  all  this  family  but  one 
survived,  Jane,  who  married  Francis  Borland  of  Boston 
and  by  intermarriages  of  later  generations  with  the 
Winthrops,  was  the  ancestor  of  Hon.  Robert  C.  Win- 
throp.  Thomas  Lindall  Winthrop,  a  great-grandson 
of  Judge  Lindall,  owned  "Lindall  Hill"  from  1760- 
1795,  when  he  sold  to  William  Burley,  who  owned  "Bur- 
ley  Farm."  Judge  Lindall  acquired  an  ample  fortune 
and  was  able  to  follow  his  natural  inclinations,  which 
seem  to  have  led  him  to  politics.  He  served  as  Repre- 
sentative, Speaker  of  the  House,  Member  of  the  Coun- 
cil, and  was  appointed  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas  in  1729.  He  was  buried  in  the  Charter  Street 
Cemetery,  Salem. 

The  First  School;  How  Established. — It  speaks 
well  for  the  early  settlers  that  they  made  provision  for 


34  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

the  education  of  their  children.  There  had  been  schools 
in  Salem  town  for  many  years,  and  it  had  been  neces- 
sary for  the  Village  children  to  attend  school  there.  A 
school  is  said  to  have  been  held  near  Dr.  Griggs'  at 
Folly  Hill,  about  1692,  but  that  is  outside  the  present 
limits  of  Danvers.  The  parish  was  growing  rapidly 
now,  and  in  1708  the  minister,  Rev.  Joseph  Green,^ 
determined  to  have  a  "good  schoolmaster  to  teach  their 
children  to  read  and  write  and  cypher  and  everything 
that  is  good."  He  made  known  his  desires  to  the  people, 
who,  in  general,  approved  of  his  plan,  and  he  then  set 
about  building  a  schoolhouse.  Deacon  Ingersoll,  always 
liberal  and  public  spirited,  gave  the  land  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  training  field  for  the  purpose,  and  the  min- 
ister paid  for  the  building  out  of  his  own  salary,  assisted 
by  a  few  whom  he  had  succeeded  in  interesting.  This 
was  the  first  schoolhouse  erected  in  the  present  town  of 
Danvers. 

First  Teacher. — The  building  once  started,  the  min- 
ister was  not  willing  to  wait  for  its  completion.  He 
hired  a  room  in  a  house  near  by,  and  engaged  Mrs. 
Katherine  Deland  to  teach,  bearing  all  the  expenses 
himself.  This  school  continued  to  be  supported  for 
several  years  at  private  expense  in  the  new  schoolhouse. 

Since  1701,  the  Villagers  had  been  endeavoring  to 
induce  the  town  of  Salem  to  establish  a  school  in  their 
midst,  but  it  was  not  till  1712  that  the  request  was 
granted.  Mrs.  Deland  was  the  recipient  of  five  pounds 
a  year  for  two  years,  the  money  being  furnished  by 
Salem;  at  the  expiration  of  this  time  she  was  succeeded 
by  Samuel  Andrew.  He  received  seven  pounds,  forty 
shillings  per  year.  Later  the  custom  of  holding  school 
sessions  at  houses  in  different  parts  of  the  Village  was 
inaugurated,  and  the  schoolhouse  was  deserted.     From 

1  See  his  diai'y,  Essex  Institute  Collections. 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  85 

this  time  to  the  incorporation  of  the  district  of  Danvers 
(1752)  the  parish  conducted  all  matters  relating  to  the 
schools. 

Wills  Hill  Set  Off. — Parish  affairs  seem  to  have 
run  along  smoothly  during  the  next  fourteen  years, 
and  the  people  were  happy  and  united,  but  the  residents 
at  Wills  Hill,  now  Middleton,^  began  to  clamor  for  a 
separation  on  the  ground  of  distance  from  the  meeting 
house  at  the  Village,  just  as  a  half  century  before  the 
Villagers  had  asked  to  be  released  from  the  mother 
church  at  Salem.  The  petition  was  renewed  several 
years,  and  finally  in  1728  twenty-four  from  the  Village 
parish  received  letters  of  dismissal  to  the  new  church 
at  Middleton. 

Pioneers  from  Danvers. — Among  pioneer  commu- 
nities settled  by  people  from  this  immediate  locality  was 
that  of  New  Salem  in  the  western  part  of  Massachu- 
setts. As  early  as  1729  Joseph  Andrews  and  others 
petitioned  the  General  Court  for  a  grant  of  land  there, 
but  it  was  not  until  1734  that  Salem  men  with  their 
families  migrated  to  that  then  far  wilderness.  The 
reason  given  in  the  petition  for  removing  from  Salem 
was  that  it  was  "the  most  ancient  town  in  the  Province 
and  they  were  very  much  straightened  in  lands  whereon 
to  settle  themselves  and  their  children."  In  addition 
to  the  fact  that  there  was  a  scarcity  of  unappropriated 
land  in  Salem,  the  allurement  of  pioneering  was  also 
an  important  factor,  an  instinct  which  so  strongly  char- 
acterized our  New  England  forbears.  Among  those 
from  Salem  Village  who  settled  in  New  Salem  were 
John  Buxton,  John  Preston,  Jonathan  Darling,  Israel 
Andrew,  Samuel  Foster,  Benjamin  Holten,  Amos  Put- 
nam, James  Clough,  and  many  from  Peabody  and 
Salem  town.    Later,  in  1797,  two  of  these  pioneer  fom- 

3  Middleton  was  ineorpoi-ated   in  June,   1728. 


36  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

ilies,  the  Houltons  and  Putnams,  again  felt  the  call,  and 
leaving  New  Salem  journeyed  to  the  uninhabited  re- 
gions of  Maine  and  founded  Houlton.  As  did  their 
fathers,  they  opened  the  wilderness  and  established 
homes  on  the  rugged  and  inhospitable  frontier.^ 

Steps  Toward  a  Town. — The  project  which  for 
sixt}^  years  had  agitated  the  people  of  the  Village  and 
Middle  Precincts  was  not  abandoned.  The  desire  for 
a  complete  separation  from  Salem  could  not  be  over- 
come. The  demand  for  a  division  was  constantly  re- 
newed, until  in  1733  a  formal  petition-  was  sent  to  the 
town  of  Salem.  It  stated  as  the  principal  reason,  that 
a  great  number  of  the  Villagers  lived  five  or  six  miles 
from  the  town  house  and  some  even  more  than  that,  and 
it  was  extremely  difficult  for  them  to  attend  the  town 
meetings.  The  petition  was  set  aside.  Seven  years  later 
(1740)  the  inhabitants  of  the  Middle  Precinct  appointed 
a  committee  to  confer  with  the  "Farmers"  at  the  Vil- 
lage in  regard  to  joining  forces  in  an  attempt  to  be  set 
ofi'  as  a  distinct  township.  But  Salem  was  determined 
to  hold  all  her  villages  intact,  and  defeated  this  project 
by  promising  to  maintain  two  schools  in  the  Village 
territory  and  one  at  the  Middle  Precinct.  But  still  the 
farmers  were  not  pacified.  The  people  of  the  two  pre- 
cincts desired  to  manage  their  own  affairs,  and  time  only 
multiplied  their  reasons  and  desires  for  a  separation. 

Browne's  Folly. — About  1740,  William  Browne,  a 
wealthy  merchant  of  Salem,  erected  an  elegant  mansion 
for  a  country  home  on  the  summit  of  Folly  Hill.  The 
building  consisted  of  two  wings  two  stories  high,  con- 
nected by  a  spacious  hall,  much  in  the  shape  of  the 
letter  H.    He  named  the  place  "Browne's  Hall."    The 

1  See  "Salem  and  New  Salem,"  by  Rev.  A.  V.  House,  in  Danvers  Hist. 
Coll.,  Vol.   5,  p.  90, 

2  See  Hanson's  "History  of  Danver.s,"  page  44. 


Maui!ai.itJ 


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J  s  5 

J  ^  03 

i  ^  ^ 

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O  "S  ^ 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  37 

floor  of  the  hall  was  painted  in  imitation  of  mosaic,  and 
the  finish  of  the  house  was  most  costly  throughout,  cor- 
responding to  the  wealth  of  its  owner.  At  the  foot  of 
the  hill  stood  the  farmhouse  connected  with  the  place, 
while  on  the  hill  was  a  building  adjacent  for  the  domes- 
tics, all  of  whom  were  negroes.  Here  the  wealthy  mer- 
chant hospitably  entertained  many  distinguished  guests. 

William  Browne  was  born  in  Salem,  May  7,  1709, 
and  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1727,  in  the  class  with 
Thomas  Hutchinson  and  Jonathan  Trumbull.  In  1737 
he  married  INIary  Burnet,  granddaughter  of  the  cele- 
brated Bishop  of  Salisbury,  who  was  not  then  15  years 
of  age.  He  married,  second,  Mary,  daughter  of  Philip 
French,  Esq.,  of  Brunswick,  N.  J.  He  was  a  repre- 
sentative to  the  General  Court  and  a  member  of  the 
executive  council.  He  died  April  27,  1763,  and  was 
buried  in  Charter  Street  burying  ground,  Salem.  This 
hilP  and  the  lane  along  its  base  was  one  of  the  favorite 
haunts  of  Nathaniel  Hawthorne. 

In  1755  a  tremendous  earthquake  occurred  in  this 
vicinity.  Glass  was  broken,  chimneys  destroyed,  and 
great  consternation  created.  It  has  been  stated  that 
Browne's  Hall  was  so  shaken  "that  the  owner  dared  no 
longer  reside  in  it,  and  practically  acknowledging  that 
its  ambitious  site  rendered  it  indeed  a  folly,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  locate  it  on  humbler  ground." 

It  was  moved  to  the  corner  of  Liberty  and  Conant 
streets,  where  it  remained  with  all  its  furniture  until 
after  the  Revolution.  Its  owner  had  died  and  the  prop- 
erty passed  into  the  hands  of  Richard  Derby  of  Salem. 
Nathaniel  Hawthorne  tells  the  story  of  the  neglected 
house  being  the  scene  of  schoolboy  maraudings,  and  of 

1  In  1848  it  was  made  a  coast  survey  station.  It  is  207  feet  above 
half-tide  level  of  the  ocean.  From  the!  top  can  be  seen  Mt.  Monadnock, 
hills  in  Chelmsford,  and  the  Blue  Hills  of  Milton.  See  "Browne  Hill 
in  History,"  by  Ezra  D.  Hines ;  also  Holmes'  "The  Broomstick  Train." 


38  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

one  of  the  closets  in  the  house  which  no  one  dared  enter. 
It  was  supposed  that  an  evil  spirit  was  confined  therein. 
He  writes:  "One  day  some  schoolboys  happened  to  be 
playing  in  the  deserted  chambers,  and  took  it  into  their 
heads  to  develop  the  secrets  of  this  mysterious  closet. 
With  great  difficulty  and  tremor  they  succeeded  in 
forcing  the  door.  As  it  flew  open,  there  was  a  vision 
of  people  in  garments  of  antique  magnificence,  gentle- 
men in  curled  wigs  and  tarnished  gold  lace,  and  ladies 
in  brocade  and  quaint  headdresses,  rushing  tumultu- 
ously  forth  and  tumbling  upon  the  floor.  The  urchins 
took  to  their  heels  in  huge  dismay,  but  crept  back  after 
a  while,  and  discovered  that  the  apparition  was  com- 
posed of  a  mighty  pile  of  family  portraits." 

Hawthorne  further  writes,  concerning  the  house  and 
hill: 

"This  eminence  is  a  long  ridge,  rising  out  of  the  level 
countr}^  around  like  a  whale's  back  out  of  a  calm  sea, 
with  the  head  and  tail  beneath  the  surface.  Along  the 
base  ran  a  green  and  seldom  trodden  lane,  with  which 
I  was  very  familiar  in  my  boyhood;  and  there  was  a 
little  brook,  which  I  remember  to  have  dammed  up  till 
its  overflow  made  a  mimic  ocean.  When  I  last  looked 
for  this  tiny  streamlet,  which  was  still  rippling  freshly 
through  my  memory,  I  found  it  strangely  shrunken; 
a  mere  ditch  indeed,  and  almost  a  dry  one.  But  the 
green  lane  was  still  there,  precisely  as  I  remembered  it ; 
two  wheel  tracks,  and  the  beaten  paths  of  the  horses' 
feet,  and  grassy  strips  between ;  the  whole  overshadowed 
b}'  tall  locust  trees  and  the  prevalent  barberry  bushes, 
which  are  rooted  so  fondly  into  the  recollections  of  every 
Essex  man. 

"From  this  lane  there  is  a  steep  ascent  up  the  side  of 
the  hill,  the  ridge  of  which  affords  two  views  of  very 
wide  extent  and  variety.    On  one  side  is  the  ocean,  and 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  39 

Salem  and  Beverly  on  its  shores;  on  the  other,  a  rural 
scene,  almost  perfectly  level,  so  that  each  man's  metes 
and  bounds  can  be  traced  out  as  on  a  map.  The  be- 
holder takes  in  at  a  glance  the  estates  on  which  different 
families  have  long  been  situated,  and  the  houses  where 
they  have  dwelt  and  cherished  their  various  interests, 
intermarrying,  agreeing  together,  or  quarreling,  going 
to  live,  annexing  little  bits  of  real  estate,  acting  out  their 
petty  parts  in  life,  and  sleeping  quietly  under  the  sod 
at  last.  A  man's  individual  affairs  look  not  so  ver}'' 
important  when  we  can  climb  high  enough  to  get  the 
idea  of  a  complicated  neighborhood.  But  what  made 
the  hill  particularly  interesting  to  me,  were  the  traces 
of  an  old  and  long  vanished  edifice,  midway  on  the 
curving  ridge  and  at  its  highest  point.  A  pre-revolu- 
tionary  magnate,  the  representative  of  a  famous  Salem 
family,  had  here  built  himself  a  pleasure  house,  on  a 
scale  of  magnificence  which,  combined  with  its  airy  site 
and  difficult  approach,  obtained  for  it  and  for  the  entire 
hill  on  which  it  stood,  the  traditionary  title  of  'Browne's 
Folly.'  Whether  a  folly  or  no,  the  house  was  certainly 
an  unfortunate  one. 

"The  proprietor^  had  adhered  to  the  Royalist  side, 
and  fled  to  England  during  the  Revolution.  The  man- 
sion was  left  under  the  care  of  Richard  Derby  (  an  ances- 
tor of  the  present  Derby  family),  who  had  a  claim  to 
the  Browne  property  through  his  wife,  but  seems  to  have 
held  the  premises  precisely  as  the  refugee  left  them,  for 
a  long  term  of  years,  in  the  expectation  of  his  eventual 
return.  The  house  remained  with  all  its  furniture  in 
its  spacious  rooms  and  chambers,  ready  for  the  exile's 
occupancy,  as  soon  as  he  should  reappear.  As  time  went 
on,  however,  it  began  to  be  neglected,  and  was  accessible 
to  whatever  vagrant,  or  idle  schoolboy,  or  berrying  party 
might  choose  to  enter  through  its  ill-secured  windows. 

1  William    Browne   bequeathed    this    property   to    his    sou,    William 
Burnet  Browne. 


40  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

"The  ancient  site  of  this  proud  mansion  may  still  be 
traced  (or  could  have  been  ten  years  ago)  upon  the 
summit  of  the  hill.  It  consisted  of  two  spacious  wings, 
connected  by  an  intermediate  hall  of  entrance,  which 
fronted  lengthwise  upon  the  ridge.  Two  shallow  and 
grass-grown  cavities  remain  of  what  were  once  the  deep 
and  richly-stored  cellars  under  the  two  wings;  and  be- 
tween them  is  the  outline  of  the  connecting  hall,  about 
as  deep  as  a  plough  furrow,  and  somewhat  greener  than 
the  surrounding  soil.  The  two  cellars  are  still  deep 
enough  to  shelter  a  visitor  from  the  fresh  breezes  that 
haunt  the  summit  of  the  hill;  and  barberry  bushes  clus- 
tering within  them  offer  the  harsh  acidity  of  their  fruits, 
instead  of  the  rich  wines  which  the  colonial  magnate 
was  wont  to  store  for  his  guests. 

"There  I  have  sometimes  sat  and  tried  to  rebuild  in 
mjT^  imagination,  the  stately  house,  or  to  fancy  what  a 
splendid  show  it  must  have  made  even  so  far  off  as  in 
the  streets  of  Salem,  when  the  old  proprietor  illuminated 
his  many  windows  to  celebrate  the  King's  birthday. 

"I  have  quite  forgotten  what  story  I  purposed  writing 
about  'Browne's  Folly,'  and  I  freely  offer  the  theme  and 
site  to  any  of  my  young  townsmen  who  may  be  afflicted 
with  the  same  tendency  towards  fanciful  narratives 
which  haunted  me  in  my  youth  and  long  afterwards." 

The  house  was  afterwards  sold  in  three  parts.  The 
middle  or  hall  section  became  a  sort  of  annex  to  the  old 
hotel  which  occupied  the  site  of  the  present  Berry  Tav- 
ern. This  hall  was  subsequently  the  scene  of  many  in- 
teresting occasions.  It  was  used  for  headquarters  of  the 
officers  of  the  militia  on  state  occasions;  the  selectmen 
of  the  town  met  here;  lectures  and  dances  were  given; 
and  it  was  the  meeting  place  of  the  Jordan  Lodge  of 
Masons.  It  was  last  moved  to  a  point  further  up  Maple 
street,  where  it  was  destroyed  in  the  fire  of  1845.    It 


FIRST  CHURCH 


Where  the  first  Dan  vers  Town  Meetings  were  held. 

Second  meeting  house  of  the  organization. 

Built  in  1701,  demolished  in  1786. 


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PETITION  OF  THE  "VILLAGE"  AND  "MIDDLE  PRECINCT"  FOR  SEPARATION 

FROM  SALEM,  175' 
From  the  original  in  possession  of  the  Essex  Institute,  Salem 


WHEN  WE  BELONGED  TO  SALEM  41 

has  been  said  that  the  house  on  Maple  street,  opposite 
the  Hook  and  Ladder  house  was  a  part  of  Browne's 
Hall,  but  it  is  not  authenticated. 

Renewed  Demands  for  a  Town. — It  was  now  eleven 
years  since  an  official  attempt  had  been  made  toward 
separation  from  Salem,  but  the  people  were  gathering 
strength  for  the  final  struggle.  In  1751  the  Village 
and  Middle  parishes  agreed  between  themselves  to  strike 
the  parent  town  a  vigorous  blow,  declaring  themselves 
in  favor  of  incorporation  as  a  town.  A  committee  con- 
sisting of  Daniel  Eppes,  Jr.,  Malachi  Felton  and  John 
Proctor  for  the  Middle  Precinct,  and  Samuel  Flint, 
Cornelius  Tarbell  and  James  Prince  for  the  Village, 
was  instructed  to  labor  with  the  people  of  Salem,  a  large 
number  of  whom  were  opposed  to  the  secession,  and 
also  to  present  their  claim  to  the  General  Court. 


II.     THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS. 


1752-1855. 


BEGINNING  OF  DANVERS;    NEW  MILLS. 

Incorporation  as  a  District;  Ho  ay  Different 
From  Town. — The  efforts  of  the  citizens  were  at  last 
crowned  with  success,  and  in  the  year  1752  the  District 
of  Danvers  was  incorporated.^  Although  many  privi- 
leges were  thus  gained,  the  prayer  of  the  petitioners  was 
not  fully  granted.  Instead  of  a  Town,  they  found  them- 
selves only  a  District,  and  as  such  were  cut  off  from 
sending  a  delegate  to  the  General  Court.  The  King  had 
charged  the  Governor  to  consent  to  the  making  of  no 
new  towns,  unless  the  right  to  send  representatives  be 
reserved.  In  other  words,  no  new  towns  should  be 
incorporated,  but  in  case  a  portion  of  a  large  town 
wished  to  be  separated,  it  should  be  incorporated  as  a 
District,  with  all  the  power  and  privilege  of  a  town, 
except — the  most  important  factor  of  all — ^it  should 
have  no  representation  in  the  government  of  the  colony. 
This  was  the  popular  course  of  the  King  to  prevent  the 
power  from  getting  into  the  hands  of  the  people.  It 
was  not  pleasing  to  the  citizens. 

The  Name  Danvers;-  Whence  it  Came. — It  has 
never  been  determined  with  accuracy  just  how  Danvers 

1  See  Hanson's  History,  page  51,  for  Act  of  Incorporation.  Also 
"llow  Danvers  Became  a  Town,"  by  Eben  Putnam. 

2  There  are  but  two  other  towns  of  the  name  in  this  country : 
Danvers,  McLean  County,  111.,  and  Danvers,  Montana,  both  named  for 
this  town. 


DR.  AMOS  PUTNAM 

From  the  earliest  Putnam  portrait  known 

Now  in  possession  of  the  Danvers  Historical  Society 


THE  ISAAC  GOODALE  HOUSE,  SALEM  VILLAGE  (PEABODY) 

Built  about  i66S 


^■Or,^2ihey>^ -^y^nrrri, . 


l~^^AU  ^ 


^jCX^.^.: 


CHICKSANDS  PRIORY,  COUNTY  OK  BEDFORD,  ENGLAND 
Birthplace  of  Sir  Danvers  Osborn  as  it  appeared  in  1730. 


THE  OLD   TOWN   OF  DANVERS  43 

received  its  name.  There  was  an  English  family  by  the 
name  of  Danvers,  which  came  originally  from  D'Anvers 
(Antwerp),  Belgium.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  17th 
century,  Sir  Peter  Osborne — a  name  common  to  old 
Danvers — married  Eleanor  Danvers,  their  grandson. 
Sir  Danvers  Osborne,  being  Governor  of  New  York  in 
1753.  He  was  born  in  1715,  and  married  Lady  Mary 
Montague,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Halifax. 

When  the  District  of  Danvers  was  incorporated, 
Lieut.  Governor  Phips  was  in  office,  and  it  is  probable 
that  he  suggested  the  name  through  gratitude  to  his 
patron,^  Danvers  Osborne.  It  has  been  stated  that  this 
portion  of  Salem  was  called  Danvers  as  early  as  1745.- 

FiRST  Town  or  District  Meeting;  District 
Limits. — The  meetings  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  new 
District  were  to  be  held  at  the  Village  and  Middle  Par- 
ishes alternately,  and  officers  chosen  first  from  one  and 
then  the  other.  The  first  call  or  warrant  for  a  town 
meeting  was  addressed  to  Daniel  Eppes,  and  was  signed 
by  fifteen  citizens  of  the  two  parishes.  On  the  fourth  of 
the  following  March  the  first  annual  meeting  was  held 
and  officers  elected  as  follows:  Daniel  Eppes,  Esq.,  mod- 
erator; Daniel  Eppes,  Jr.,  clerk;  James  Prince,  treas- 
urer; Daniel  Eppes,  Jr.,  Capt.  Samuel  Flint,  Deacon 
Cornelius  Tarbell,  Stephen  Putnam,  Samuel  King, 
Daniel  Gardner  and  Joseph  Putnam,  selectmen. 

The  new  district  included  the  territory  occupied  by 
the  present  towns  of  Danvers  and  Peabod5\  The  citi- 
zens were  allowed  to  pay  their  highway  taxes  by  work- 
ing on  the  roads,  a  custom  which  existed  for  many  years. 

"New  Mills"  or  Danversport  Settled. — In  the 
year  1754,  if  one  could  have  made  a  path  through  the 
woods  to  the  banks  of  Crane  river,  near  Danversport, 

1  See  Hanson's  History,  p.  57. 

2  See  Felt's  Annals  of  Salem. 


44  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

a  small  house  might  have  been  seen  floating  on  a  raft 
down  the  river.  The  man  who  was  propelling  it  was 
Archelaiis  Putnam.  He  had  been  on  a  prospecting  tour 
through  the  woods,  and  finding  excellent  opportunities 
for  conducting  grist  mills  at  "Skelton's  Neck,"  decided 
to  move  down  his  cooper's  shop.  He  lived  in  the  house 
on  his  father's  farm,  known  later  as  the  Judge  Putnam 
place,  and  it  was  easy  to  move  the  building  down  the  old 
country  road  to  the  banks  of  Crane  river,  from  which 
point  the  way  was  of  necessity  by  water,  as  there  was 
no  road  to  that  part  of  the  town.  From  the  raft  it  was 
landed  on  the  site,  next  the  Danversport  station,  of  the 
old  Bates  morocco  factory,  which  was  demolished  in 
1920  by  the  Creese  &  Cook  Co.,  and  later  moved  across 
the  street.  Here  he  and  his  family  lived  in  the  first 
house  erected  at  Danversport.  His  daughter,  Sarah 
(Putnam)  Fowler,  was  the  first  white  child  born  at 
Danversport,  in  1754.  She  died  Nov.  19,  1847,  aged 
93  years.  The  next  year  his  brother  John  moved  down, 
and  together  they  built  a  grist  mill,  which  marked  the 
beginning  of  that  business  at  Danversport,  where  is  now^ 
the  George  H.  Parker  Grain  Company.  The  name  of 
the  locality  subsequently  became  changed  from  "Skel- 
ton's  Neck"  to  "New  Mills,"  by  which  it  was  known  for 
about  a  hundred  years. 

The  whole  of  that  region  was  then  covered  with  a 
heavy  growth  of  trees,  and  so  dense  was  the  foliage  that 
Putnam's  wife  once  became  lost  in  going  from  the  house 
to  the  mill,  and  was  only  able  to  find  her  way  by  follow- 
ing the  sound  of  her  husband's  voice.  Foxes  were  plenty 
in  the  woods,  from  which  fact  Fox  hill  received  its  name. 
As  soon  as  the  mill  was  established  a  private  way  was 
laid  out  from  the  Plains  to  enable  the  people  to  carry 
their  corn  to  the  grist. 


THE   OLD   TOAVN    OF   DANVERS  45 

HIGHWAY  CONTROVERSY  AT  THE  NECK. 

Road  from  Plains  to  Neck  Laid  Out;  Beginning 
OF  Trouble. — The  people  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
town,  as  well  as  those  residing  in  the  towns  of  Wenham, 
Beverly,  Topsfield,  Middleton  and  Boxford,  recognized 
at  once  the  advantage  of  this  new  way  to  the  Neck. 
Two  good  mills  had  been  erected  where  there  was  a 
great  head  of  water,  more  than  sufficient  to  run  these 
mills  in  the  driest  seasons.  Heretofore  the  people  of 
Danvers  had  been  obliged  to  travel  some  distance,  espe- 
cially in  dry  times,  to  get  their  corn  ground.  Accord- 
ingly in  1755  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  Court  of 
Sessions  of  the  County  of  Essex,  for  a  highway  to  be 
laid  out  from  John  Porter's  tavern  (the  present  Berry 
Tavern)  to  Putnam's  mills,  where  Parker's  mill  now 
stands.  The  petition  was  granted,  and  the  owners  of 
the  land  between  these  two  points  were  given  liberty  to 
cut  and  carry  away  the  wood  along  the  line  of  the  pro- 
posed highwa5\  They  were  John  Porter,  Benjamin 
Porter,  Joseph  Putnam,  Ginger  Andrew,  John  An- 
drew, Wm.  Browne,  Esq.,  and  Rev.  Peter  Clark.  This 
act  was  the  beginning  of  a  controversy  in  which  petty 
animosities  and  sectional  jealousies  bore  no  small  part 
in  the  proceedings  of  town,  county  and  province  for 
seventeen  years. 

The  Opposition  Party. — No  sooner  had  these  en- 
terprising farmers  obtained  the  new  road,  than  the 
people  who  lived  in  the  present  Highlands  and  Tapley- 
ville  districts,  mindful  of  their  own  interests,  and  not 
willing  to  see  the  travel  turned  in  another  direction, 
petitioned  the  following  year  (1756)  that  the  new  road 
just  laid  out  be  discontinued,  and  that  another  road 
from  their  section  of  the  town  be  made  to  the  mills  for 
their  accommodation.     They  took  the  ground  that  the 


46  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVEES 

greater  part  of  the  population  of  Danvers  was  confined 
to  their  section,  and  that  for  this  reason  a  larger  num- 
ber of  inhabitants  would  be  benefited.  This  was  no 
doubt  true,  as  the  settlement  at  this  time  was  to  a  large 
extent  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town.  The  Court  did 
not  see  fit  to  grant  their  petition,  and  more  clouds 
gathered. 

Road  to  Salem;  Why  Opened. — The  inhabitants 
of  the  Neck,  always  aHve  to  their  own  interests  in  a 
commercial  way,  soon  began  to  consider  a  continuance 
of  the  road  from  Crane  River  bridge  at  the  grist  mill 
to  the  North  bridge,  Salem.  They  saw  it  would  be  the 
means  of  bringing  travel  from  the  northern  towns,  which 
formerly  went  by  the  way  of  Beverly  and  the  ferry^  to 
Salem,  through  Danvers.  The  people  of  the  towns  above 
Danvers  were  greatly  pleased  at  the  prospect  of  a  road 
through  to  Salem,  because  the  distance  to  Salem  and 
Marblehead,  where  they  disposed  of  their  produce, 
would  be  much  shortened  for  them.  Everybody  rejoiced 
over  the  prospect  of  the  new  road,  except  the  residents 
of  the  western  part  of  the  town,  whose  pangs  of  jealousy 
were  intensified  as  they  saw  new  avenues  of  trade  opened 
up.  The  Neck  people  were  well  aware  of  this  oppo- 
sition, and  were  satisfied  to  progress  slowly  in  the  ac- 
complishment of  their  plan.  Their  first  move  was  to 
get  the  town  to  lay  out  a  private  way  between  Crane 
river  bridge  and  Waters  river.  Several  individuals 
owning  land  between  these  two  points  petitioned  the 
selectmen  in  1760  for  such  a  way,  which  was  duly 
granted,  on  the  pretext  that  these  gentlemen  owned 
land  on  the  Salem  side  of  Waters  river  and  were  desir- 
ous of  a  road  to  reach  it.  Having  accomplished  so 
much,  of  course  it  became  necessary  to  invent  some 
means  of  getting  across  Waters  river.    They  could  not 

1  For  many  years  there  was  a  ferry  across  the  river  where  Essex 
(Beverly)  Bridge  now  is.     The  bridge  was  built  in  1789. 


THE  OLD   TOWN    OF   DAXVERS  47 

ford  the  stream,  and  in  order  to  reach  their  land  on  the 
opposite  bank  a  bridge  must  be  built.  So  a  rude  bridge 
was  constructed,  and  the  Neck  people  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  so  much  of  the  way  to  Salem  laid  out. 

War  Begun  in  Earnest. — This  highway  affair  be- 
gan to  assume  gigantic  proportions.  When  the  fact  of 
the  building  of  the  bridge  came  to  the  ears  of  the  oppo- 
sition party,  a  terrific  commotion  was  raised  in  town 
meeting,  in  September,  1760.  It  was  voted  to  forbid 
the  completion  of  the  bridge  and  to  make  complaint  to 
the  General  Court.  This  was  an  open  declaration  of 
war.  The  Neck  people  resolved  to  continue  their  sinu- 
ous methods  no  longer,  but  to  fight  it  out  in  a  hand-to- 
hand  conflict.  They  boldly  petitioned  the  Court  of 
General  Sessions  to  lay  out  the  whole  way  from  the 
Porter  Tavern  to  the  North  Bridge,  Salem,  as  a  county 
highway.  With  this  petition  came  also  other  petitions 
of  a  like  nature  from  the  neighboring  towns,  until  the 
Court's  conmiittee  was  nearly  buried  in  the  avalanche 
This  act  bade  defiance  to  the  opposition.  The  war  had 
begun  in  earnest. 

Grounds  for  Opposition;  The  Road  Laid  Out. — 
Then  came  the  Town  of  Danvers  before  the  Court  of 
Sessions  with  a  memorial,  opposing  in  most  vigorous 
language  this  new  way.  It  claimed  that  the  town  could 
not  afford  to  maintain  so  much  extra  highway — as  she 
was  paying  more  for  support  of  highways  than  any 
other  town  in  the  Province — especially  for  the  benefit 
of  out-of-town  travel  largely ;  that  the  old  road  by  Rob- 
ert Hooper,  Esquire's  country  seat  ("The  Lindens") 
to  the  South  Meeting  house  was  of  sufficient  accommo- 
dation, without  the  expense  of  the  new  way,  and  while 
a  mile  of  travel  might  be  saved  by  the  new  road,  one 
hundred  families,  shopkeepers  and  tradesmen  on  the  old 
road  would  be  the  losers  by  the  division  of  traffic;  and 


48  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

not  least  important  of  all,  that  the  building  of  the  bridge 
over  Waters'  river  prevented  the  passage  of  vessels  up 
the  stream.  Waters'  river  was  then  navigable  for  a 
mile  above  the  bridge,  and  there  were  two  landing  places 
where  the  water  was  eight  to  ten  feet  deep  at  half  tide. 
All  these  complaints  were  just,  no  doubt,  but  they 
proved  of  no  avail  in  stemming  the  tide  of  enthusiasm 
for  the  new  road.  In  May,  1761,  it  was  laid  out  as  a 
County  highway,  but  hostilities  were  in  no  wise  sus- 
pended. 

Highways  a  Burden  to  the  Town;  Incorpora- 
tion OF  "Neck  of  Land." — The  increased  area  of  high- 
ways which  the  building  of  the  road  to  Salem  had 
thrown  upon  the  town  to  support,  was  the  occasion  of 
fresh  outbursts  of  alarm  and  disapproval  from  the  voters 
from  time  to  time.  They  attempted  in  every  conceiv- 
able way  to  rid  the  town  of  the  burden,  and  petition 
after  petition  was  addressed  to  the  County  and  the 
Province  for  relief.  The  maintenance  of  bridges  was  a 
heavy  expense,  entailing  constant  repairs.  Recognizing 
the  inestimable  value  of  the  road  to  Salem  today,  it  is 
amusing  to  read  in  their  petition  that  "the  new  way  and 
bridge  are  a  great  hurt  and  damage  to  the  town  of 
Danvers,"  and  that  the  voters  bewail  the  fact  that  the 
town  should  "pay  so  much  money  for  what  is  a  great 
disadvantage  to  them." 

Unhappy  divisions  arose,  and  finally  the  courageous 
residents  of  the  Neck  took  upon  themselves  that  which 
the  Province,  the  County  and  the  Town,  in  turn,  re- 
fused to  do,  namely,  the  support  of  the  highway  and 
bridges  from  the  Porter  Tavern  to  the  North  Bridge, 
Salem.  "The  Neck  of  Land"  was  duly  incorporated 
as  a  separate  district  by  act  of  the  General  Court  in 
1772.  The  residents  were  exempt  from  taxation  for 
the  support  of  other  highways  in  Danvers,  and  the  town 


THE  PUTNAM-PRESTON-PEABODY  HOUSE 

Built  probably  about  1682.     Destroyed  by  fire,  May  21,  1904. 


REA-PUTNAM-FOWLKR  HOUSE,  OFF  LOCUST  STREET 

The  western  end  built  by  Daniel  Rea.  previous  to  1636.     The  eastern  end  added  by  Deacon 

Edmund  Putnam,  about  1759.     Owned  by  Hon.  Elias  Putnam  in  1820. 

Came  into  possession  of  the  Fowler  family  about  1850. 


1^ 


^^ 


'■'"■'^f^ 


,,'^^" 


-'^,^. 


rt  Vi-  >■■  '**  ^^^•■'•'^  ^ 


_:j 


PLAN  OF  A   PART  OF  DANVERS  HIGHLANDS 

Drawn  in  1730  by  Joseph  Burnap,  surveyor,  for  His  Majesty's  Superior  Court  at  Ipswich 
in  connection  with  the  final  settlement  of  the  estate  of  Nathaniel  Ingersoll 

From  the  original  in  the  Suffolk  County  Court  Files 


THE  OLD  TOWN   OF  DANVERS  49 

was  relieved  of  the  new  road, — a  condition  which  con- 
tinued seventy  j'^ears. 

The  new  district  comprised  about  three  hundred  acres 
and  included,  besides  the  present  Danversport,  all  the 
land  between  Elliott  and  High  streets,  Conant  street 
being  the  northern  boundary.  Its  inhabitants  held  meet- 
ings,^ elected  officers,  and  conducted  all  business  per- 
taining to  roads,  irrespective  of  the  rest  of  the  town. 

FRENCH  WAR;   SLAVES;  THE  OLD 
TAVERN. 

Danveks  Men  in  the  French  and  Indian  War. — 
Danvers  men  were  always  ready  to  render  assistance  in 
time  of  war,  and  during  the  French  and  Indian  troubles 
(1754-63)  one  hundred  and  thirty-nine  served  in  the 
different  engagements  at  Crown  Point,  Louisburg, 
Fort  William  Henry,  Lake  George  and  Ticonderoga, 
and  at  the  Plains  of  Abraham.  Danvers  men  were  with 
Sir  William  Pepperrell,  who  was  later  acting  Governor 
of  Massachusetts,  1756-58,  during  the  war  known  as 
King  George's  War  (1744-48),  when  the  English  cap- 
tured the  famous  stronghold  of  Louisburg  on  Cape 
Breton  Island,  one  of  the  most  difficult  feats  of  that 
period.  Louisburg  was  known  to  be  more  strongly 
fortified  than  any  other  place  in  the  whole  country,  and 
that  these  untrained  New  England  farmers  and  fisher- 
men dared  attempt  to  take  it  seemed  the  height  of  fool- 
ishness. For  weeks  they  besieged  the  fortress,  and  their 
indomitable  courage  and  persistency  won  them  the  vic- 
tory. The  news  that  Louisburg  had  been  taken  was 
received  by  the  world  as  a  remarkable  achievement,  and 
in  England  the  colonists  were  accorded  unstinted  praise 
for  their  brave  work.    And  so  when  the  summons  came 

1  The  records  of  the  "Neck"  are  at  the  Town  Hall. 


50  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

later  to  help  drive  the  French  completely  from  the 
country  by  the  capture  of  Quebec,  Danvers  men  rallied 
eagerly  to  the  call.  They  were  nearly  all  young  men, 
averaging  not  more  than  twenty-one  years,  and  they 
gained  an  experience  that  served  them  well  at  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  Revolution  in  1775. 

French  Neutrals;  Their  Exile  from  Acadia. — 
The  year  1755  will  ever  be  memorable  for  one  of  the 
most  cruel  and  inhuman  acts  ever  perpetrated  by  the 
English.  After  reducing  the  forts  of  the  French  at 
Nova  Scotia,  they  proceeded  to  make  prisoners  of  about 
one  thousand  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  farming  villages 
along  the  coast.  These  the  English  huddled  into  their 
ships,  without  regard  to  the  union  of  families,  and  set 
sail  for  Massachusetts,  stopping  occasionally  along  the 
way  to  leave  a  few  of  the  unfortunate  exiles.  In  this 
wa}''  the  simple  and  unsuspecting  Acadians  were  scat- 
tered all  through  the  Province,  children  were  torn  from 
their  parents,  and  husbands  and  wives  were  separated 
from  one  another,  never  to  meet  again,  as  told  by  Long- 
fellow in  "Evangeline."  A  few  of  these  people,  who 
were  called  French  Neutrals,  drifted  to  Danvers,  as  to 
other  neighboring  towns,  and  as  they  had  no  money 
they  immediately  became  town  charges.  In  1759  Dan- 
vers paid  twenty  pounds  for  their  support,  and  eight 
years  later  (1767)  they  were  again  beneficiaries  of  the 
town.    They  apparently  left  the  town  about  that  time. 

Slave-Holding  in  Danvers. — Slaves  were  never 
very  numerous  in  Massachusetts.  Danvers  had  its  pro- 
portion of  blacks,  upon  the  whom  the  yoke  of  bondage 
rested  but  lightly,  however.  Nearly  all  families  of 
prominence,  including  the  ministers,  kept  their  slaves, 
and  they  played  an  important  part  in  business  trans- 
actions. They  were  treated  as  servants,  and  often  en- 
deared themselves  to  the  families  under  whose  care  they 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  51 

came.  In  the  Wadsworth  cemetery  is  a  stone  "In  mem- 
ory of  Phebe  Lewis,  who  died  Jan.  10,  1823,  aged  49 
years."  She  was  a  negro  who  had  been  brought  up  in 
the  family  of  Dr.  Wadsworth,  the  minister  of  the  First 
church.  For  years  she  had  been  a  member  of  the  church, 
and  in  writing  her  epitaph  the  minister  called  her  "an 
ornament  to  the  Christian  profession." 

A  story  is  told  of  one  slave.  Cud  jo  by  name,  owned 
by  a  family  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town  as  early  as 
1740.  Cud  jo  resented  something  his  mistress  said  and 
swore  he  would  take  her  life.  The  family,  aware  of  his 
ungovernable  temper,  was  filled  with  consternation  at 
his  threat,  and  the  master  concocted  a  plan  to  dispose 
of  him.  Pretending  to  give  him  a  holiday,  he  allowed 
Cud  jo  to  take  a  load  of  potatoes  to  Salem  to  load  on 
a  vessel  there.  He  took  his  fiddle  with  him,  and  the 
sailors,  who  had  been  let  into  the  secret,  induced  him 
into  the  cabin,  where  he  kept  up  a  continual  "fiddling," 
stopping  occasionally  to  "rosin  his  bow,"  until  the  ves- 
sel was  well  under  way.  When  he  went  on  deck,  he 
found  himself  bound  for  a  southern  clime,  consigned  to 
the  same  account  as  his  potatoes. 

When  the  town  was  set  off  (1752)  there  were  twenty- 
five  slaves  owned  in  Danvers,  sixteen  of  whom  were 
women.  The  following  receipts  show  the  method  of 
disposing  of  negroes  at  this  date : 

"Received  of  Mr.  Ebenezer  Jacobs  of  Danvers  the 
sum  of  Fourty  five  Pounds  six  shillings  and  Eight  pence 
Lawfull  money,  which  is  in  full  Satisfaction  for  a  Negro 
Boy  Named  Primus  Which  I  have  this  Day  sold  to  the 
s'd  Jacobs. 

"45.  6.  8d.  Daniel  Epes  Jun. 

"Danvers  Aprill  ye  30th  1754." 


52  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

Primus  Jacobs  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution.  He 
served  six  3^ears. 

The  other  receipt  is  as  follows: 

"Danvers,  Apr.  19,  1766. 
"Rec'd  of  Mr.  Jeremiah  Page  Fiftj^  Eight  pound 
thirteen  shillings  &  four  pence  lawfull  money  and  a 
Negro  woman  called  Dinah,  which  is  in  full  for  a  Negro 
woman  called  Combo,  and  a  Negro  girl  called  Gate, 
and  a  Negro  child  called  Deliverance  or  Dill,  which  I 
now  Sell  and  Deliver  to  ye  said  Jeremiah  Page. 
"Witness  Jona  Bancroft 

Ezek  Marsh  John  Tapley." 

Dill  grew  up  in  the  family  of  Col.  Jeremiah  Page. 
It  was  she  who  figures  in  the  story  of  the  tea  party  on 
Ihe  gambrel  roof,  told  in  verse  by  Lucy  Larcom.  The 
poem  runs: 

"They  followed  her  with  puzzled  air, 
But  saw,  upon  the  topmost  stair. 
Out  on  the  railed  roof,  dark-face  Dill 
Guarding  the  supper  board,  as  still 
As  solid  ebony." 

The  negro  woman  Dinah  seems  not  to  have  fared  very 
well  in  the  \^ears  that  followed.  Her  master,  IMajor 
John  Tapley,  was  killed  in  the  French  and  Indian  war, 
and  a  special  town  meeting  was  called  in  1773  to  see 
what  disposition  the  town  wished  to  make  in  regard  to 
her.  As  a  result,  the  selectmen  were  instructed  to  have 
her  properly  cared  for,  and  she  continued  a  town  charge 
until  her  death. 

Milan  Murphy  was  a  veteran  of  the  Revolution.  He 
was  called  "Colonel"  and  was  the  victim  of  all  sorts  of 
pranks.  He  was  a  prominent  figure  at  the  'Lection  day 
festivities,  when  he  marched  wearing  his  old  three-cor- 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN  VERS  53 

nered  hat  and  a  blue  coat  with  brass  buttons,  all  the 
while  singinf?  to  the  accompaniment  of  his  old  violin. 
A  large  clump  of  willows  off  Pine  street,  near  Otis, 
which  this  negro  set  out,  received  the  name  of  "Milan's 
Willows."  In  1818  he  was  made  a  Revolutionary  pen- 
sioner. 

The  following  story  has  been  related  concerning  the 
slaves  owned  by  Lt.  Stephen  Putnam,  who  lived  where 
Judge  Alden  P.  White's  residence  in  Putnamville  now 
stands : 

"Some  time  in  the  month  of  May,  1737,  a  small  vessel 
might  have  been  seen  moving  slowly  down  a  river  which 
empties  into  the  Gulf  of  Guinea.  The  officers  on  board 
were  cold  and  unfeeling,  agreeing  well  with  the  in- 
human traffic  in  which  they  were  employed.  They  pur- 
chased captured  negroes  at  low  rates  and  brought  them 
to  Xew  England,  where  they  were  sold  at  prices  which 
gave  large  gains  to  the  traders.  Among  those  who 
landed  at  Boston  in  that  summer  of  1737  were  two  dark 
curly-headed  children,  one  a  boy  of  four  years,  the  other 
a  girl  of  twenty  months,  whose  bright,  sparkling  eyes 
gave  promise  of  future  activity  of  mind  and  body.  The 
bo}'-  was  purchased  by  a  man  in  Lynnfield,  and  the  girl 
by  Lt.  Stephen  Putnam,  for  the  sum  of  £20,  and  her 
weight  was  twenty  pounds,  avoirdupois.  She  was  taken 
into  the  family  and  brought  up  side  by  side  with  his 
children,  ten  in  number,  some  of  whom  were  older  and 
some  younger  than  Rose.  As  soon  as  old  enough  she 
was  given  the  task  of  taking  care  of  the  children  and 
assisting  her  mistress  in  the  work  of  the  family.  I  can- 
not say  that  she  ever  attended  school,  but  she  learned 
her  letters,  and  was  able  to  read  a  little  in  her  Bible, 
and  was  constant  in  attendance  at  church,  walking  three 
miles.  She  could  remember  the  minister's  text,  but  per- 
haps she  took  as  much  pleasure  in  the  social  meeting  of 
her  friends  during  the  intermission  hours  as  in  the  ser- 


54  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

men.  She  occupied  a  chair  near  the  door,  which  gave 
her  a  good  opportunity  to  see  the  people  as  they  entered, 
and  she  noticed  their  attire  and  was  observant  of  the 
changing  fashions  of  those  days.  She  was  long  remem- 
bered by  the  boys  and  girls  of  the  parish  for  her  gener- 
ous distribution  of  apples,  pears  and  cucumbers  in  their 
season,  with  which  her  capacious  pockets  were  well  filled. 
After  the  death  of  her  master  she  remained  with  her 
mistress,  Miriam  Putnam,  who  lived  to  the  age  of 
ninety-two.  Then  her  time  was  divided  among  their 
three  surviving  sons,  Phineas,  Aaron  and  Stephen, 
where  she  was  made  welcome,  though  past  labor.  She 
died  at  the  house  of  one  of  these  friends  and  was  buried 
in  the  little  graveyard  on  the  hill,  now  known  as  the 
Preston  Street  Cemetery.  The  children  of  her  master 
cared  kindly  for  her  in  her  old  age,  and  though  no  stone 
marks  the  grave  of  this  warm-hearted  slave,  yet  the 
place  is  known,  and  plants,  the  evergreen,  box  and  daf- 
fodils, have  been  placed  there  to  mark  the  spot." 

"Lt.  David  Putnam  owned  and  lived  in  the  house  still 
standing  on  Maple  street,  near  Newbury,  known  now 
as  the  birthplace  of  his  brother,  Major-General  Israel. 
It  was  David  who  built  the  large  front  addition  to  the 
original  house.  His  slave  woman  was  called  Kate,  and 
in  1784  she  set  out  three  willow  trees  at  the  east  side 
of  the  house  and  close  by  the  running  brook,  the  last  of 
which  had  to  be  cut  down  recentty  (1916)  on  account  of 
decajang  branches." 

Incorporation  as  a  Town. — It  was  now  five  years 
since  the  town  had  been  set  off  from  Salem  as  a  District. 
As  the  troubles  with  Great  Britain  increased,  the  town 
had  a  still  stronger  desire  to  be  represented  in  the  Gen- 
eral Court.     Accordingly,  a  petition  urging  that  the 


..  ^^ 


NAUMKEAG  HOUSE,  NORTH  DANVERS. 

[■C.  RERKY 

Built  in  1838. 
From  a  lithograph  made  in  1852. 


[p  k  i-  f,  f  f  r  f 


^.    'i| 


THE  ENDECOTT-PIEMONT-LEECH  TAVERN 

On  the  old  Ipswich  Road  (Sylvan  Street) 

Used  as  a  tavern  from  1762-1806.      Here  John  Adams  and  Josiah  Quincy,  Jr.,  frequently 

stopped  on  their  way  from  Boston  to  Ipswich. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  55 

District  be  incorporated  as  a  town  was  presented  to  the 
General  Court.  The  Royal  Governor  Hutchinson  did 
all  in  his  power  to  prevent  such  action,  but  his  protests 
were  in  vain.  On  June  9, 1757,  the  petition  was  granted. 
The  population  of  the  town,  including  Peabody,  was 
about  2,000  at  this  time.  From  this  year  dates  Danvers' 
existence  as  a  town. 

The  Old  Tavern. — Certainly  as  early  as  1745,  and 
no  one  knows  how  many  years  before,  there  was  a  tavern 
at  the  corner  of  High  and  Conant  streets.  At  this  time 
the  house  was  kept  by  John  Porter,  who  probably  built 
it.  It  was  a  good  location  in  the  early  days  for  a 
hostelry,  on  account  of  the  large  amount  of  travel  over 
the  old  Ipswich  road,  providing  entertainment  for  all 
who  chanced  to  pass  that  way.  And  as  the  population 
in  the  vicinity  increased,  the  tavern  became  the  common 
resort  of  the  villagers.  Here  all  the  questions  of  the 
times  were  discussed,  the  public  affairs  of  the  colonies 
in  the  "times  that  tried  men's  souls."  This  was  also  the 
place  for  the  celebration  of  public  events,  where  impor- 
tant meetings  for  the  welfare  of  the  town  were  held,  and 
still  later,  where  many  and  varied  entertainments  and 
dances  contributed  to  the  social  life  of  the  community. 

This  old  tavern  site  was  sold  by  Col.  Jethro  and 
Timothy  Putnam  at  the  beginning  of  the  19th  century 
(1804)  to  Ebenezer  Berry,  who  came  from  Andover. 
It  passed  into  the  hands  of  his  son,  Eben  G.  Berry, 
who,  in  1838,  sold  the  old  building  and  erected  the  pres- 
ent one,  which  was  remodelled  in  1898.  It  is  now  the 
property  of  Louis  Brown. ^ 

3  For  the  history  of  other  old  taverns  of  Danvers,  see  Danvers  His- 
torical Collections,  Vol.  8. 


56  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

NEARING  THE  REVOLUTION;  JUDGE 

HOLTEN;  DANVERS  OPPOSES  THE 

STAMP  ACT. 

MuTTERiNGs  OF  DISCONTENT. — The  attitude  of  the 
King  toward  the  Province  was  growing  more  pro- 
nounced with  every  year.  Each  new  law  was  made 
with  the  evident  intent  to  deprive  the  people  of  that 
liberty  and  power  for  which  they  longed.  The  people 
were  fast  becoming  slaves.  They  recognized  the  fact, 
and  mutterings  of  discontent  began  to  be  distinctly 
audible.  In  1765  the  Stamp  Act  was  the  beginning  of 
hostilities.  Kindred  to  the  spirit  of  the  times  were  the 
citizens  of  Danvers,  and  this  same  year — ten  years  be- 
fore the  Battle  of  Lexington — they  foresaw  the  inevit- 
able struggle.  They  instructed  their  representative  in 
the  General  Court,  Thomas  Porter,  to  use  all  his  influ- 
ence toward  a  repeal  of  the  infamous  Stamp  Act,  and 
against  any  internal  taxes  except  those  imposed  by  the 
General  Court.  They  further  declared  that  they  were 
willing  to  be  subject  to  the  "Greatest  and  best  of  Kings," 
but  they  thought  men  of  "envious  and  depraved  minds" 
had  advised  him  wrought  and  their  grievance  was  such 
as  "cannot  but  be  resented  by  every  True  Englishman 
who  has  a  Spark  of  Generous  Fire  Remaining  in  His 
Breast." 

Delegate  to  Faneuil  Hall  Convention. — On  the 
twentieth  of  September,  1768,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the 
North  meeting  house,  when  Dr.  Samuel  Holten  was 
chosen  to  represent  the  town  at  a  convention  of  dele- 
gates from  the  different  towns  in  the  Province,  to  be 
held  in  Faneuil  Hall,  Boston,  two  days  later.  The 
convention  continued  several  days,  and  the  difficulties 
between  the  colonies  and  the  mother  country  were  fully 
discussed. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVEKS  57 

Samuel  Holten;  His  Early  Life. — All  things 
considered,  Dr.  Samuel  Holten  was  probably  the  most 
remarkable  man  the  town  of  Danvers  has  ever  pro- 
duced. He  was  born,  June  9,  1738,  in  a  house  not  now 
standing,  off  Prince  street.  It  was  his  parents'  intention 
to  send  him  to  college,  and  to  this  end  he  spent  four 
years  at  study  in  the  family  of  the  Rev.  Peter  Clark, 
pastor  of  the  PMrst  church.  At  the  age  of  twelve,  how- 
ever, his  health  failed  and  the  plan  was  given  up.  After 
a  time  he  recovered  sufficiently  to  begin  the  study  of 
medicine  with  Dr.  Jonathan  Prince,^  with  whom  he 
made  rapid  progress.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  Dr.  Prince 
advised  him  to  begin  practice  on  his  own  account,  which 
he  did,  settling  first  in  Gloucester,  but  later  in  his  native 
town. 

His  Public  Service. — His  first  active  part  in  public 
life,  outside  his  own  town,  was  in  the  Provincial  conven- 
tion before  mentioned,  which  was  the  first  called  without 
Royal  authority.  He  sustained  an  active  part  in  the 
deliberations  and  distinguished  himself  for  that  earnest- 
ness and  strength  which  always  characterized  him.  He 
was  also  in  the  Provincial  (State)  Congress  of  1775, 
was  an  active  member  of  the  General  Committee  of 
Safety  and  a  member  of  the  Executive  Council  under 
the  provisional  government.  With  the  beginning  of 
the  Revolution  he  gave  up  his  practice  and  devoted  him- 
self assiduously  to  his  country. 

In  1776^  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  Judges  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  Essex  County,  performing 
the  duties  of  that  office  about  thirty-two  years,  presiding 

1  Dr.  Prince  had  a  large  practice  in  this  and  neighboring'  towns. 
He  lived  upon  tlie  southern  slope  of  Hathorne  hill,  on  Newbury  street, 
opposite  Ingersoll  street,  at  a  spot  now  marked  by  a  cluster  of  pines. 
This  house  is  now  located  corner  Forest  and  Hobart  streets,  and  is 
Known  as  the  Hook  house.     He  died  in  1753. 

'  See  Funeral  Sermon  by  Dr.  Wadsworth. 


58  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

half  that  time ;  and  he  was  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Gen- 
eral Sessions  of  the  Peace  thirty-five  years,  acting  as 
Chief  Justice  of  the  same  fifteen  years. 

In  1777  Dr.  Holten  was  one  of  the  delegates  from 
Massachusetts  at  the  Yorktown  Convention  that  framed 
the  "Articles  of  Confederation,"  being  forty  years  old 
when  his  sphere  of  usefulness  so  broadened,  and  at  some 
time  presided  over  that  body,  thus  occupying  tempo- 
rarily "the  first  seat  of  honor  in  his  country." 

He  served  five  years  in  the  State  Senate  and  twelve 
in  the  Governor's  Council.  Five  years  he  served  in 
Congress  under  the  Confederation,  and  two  under  the 
Federal  Constitution,  ill  health  alone  preventing  him 
from  continuing  longer.  From  1796  to  1815  he  was 
Judge  of  Probate  for  Essex  County. 

In  his  native  town,  he  filled  almost  every  responsible 
position.  Not  only  was  he  chosen  selectman,  town  clerk, 
assessor  and  treasurer,  but  he  was  the  arbitrator  in 
many  a  case  of  dispute,  for  which  he  was  peculiarly  well 
adapted.  He  was  often  called  upon  to  write  petitions 
and  other  public  documents,  which  called  for  clear  and 
forceful  diction. 

Personal  Appearance  and  Character. — Judge 
Holten  was  in  form  majestic,  of  graceful  person,  "his 
countenance  pleasing,  his  manners  easy  and  engaging, 
his  talents  popular,  his  disposition  amiable  and  benevo- 
lent, and  of  good  intellectual  powers."  He  was  not  a 
brilliant  man  and  perhaps  not  a  great  man  in  ability 
for  any  one  line  of  action,  but  he  was  great  in  capacity 
for  general  accomplishments,  and  of  tactful  mind.  He 
was  faithful  to  every  trust,  a  man  of  unswerving  integ- 
rity, always  to  be  relied  upon.^  He  was  a  man  of  Chris- 
tian principle,  and  once  remarked  that  it  was  a  happy 

1  See  llev.  Dr.  Rice's  "History  of  the  First  Parish,"  and  "Some  Per- 
sonal Characteristics  of  Judge  Holten,"  in  Danvers  Historical  Col- 
lections, Vol.  10. 


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THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  59 

circumstance  that  the  qualities  of  right  living  had  been 
engrafted  in  his  mind  before  he  mixed  with  the  world 
around  him.  "His  was  a  high  type  of  manhood,  apt  to 
be  rare,  and  certain  alwaj^s  to  be  needed." 

Last  Years. — The  residence  of  Judge  Holten  during 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  was  the  house  now  owned 
and  restored  by  Gen.  Israel  Putnam  Chapter,  D.  A.  R., 
corner  Centre  and  Holten  streets,  which  was  built  by 
Benjamin  Holten  about  1670.  From  this  house  he  went 
forth  to  participate  in  the  great  councils  of  the  country, 
those  councils  which  made  it  possible  for  the  people  of 
today  to  enjoy  the  opportunities  and  privileges  of  the 
United  States  of  America.  He  died  on  January  2, 1816, 
at  the  age  of  78  years,  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery 
in  Tapleyville  which  bears  his  name.  He  left  three 
daughters,  but  no  son  to  perpetuate  the  name.  The 
poet  has  well  said  of  him : 

"A  heart  from  which  the  milk  of  kindness  gushed, 
A  love,  which  all  the  evil  passions  hushed, 

.    .    .  Such  a  life 
Of  quiet  glory  in  an  age  of  strife. 
The  peaceable  supporter  of  a  host 
Whose  daring  battles  are  our  country's  boast. 
Is  worth  our  study." 

Tea  Taboo  at  Town  Meeting. — The  year  1770  was 
distinguished  by  the  Non-Importation  Agreement,  the 
refusal  of  the  merchants  of  Boston  and  other  towns  to 
import  tea,  upon  which  a  tax  still  remained,  and  they 
recommended  that  all  who  were  disposed  to  resist  the 
tyranny  of  England  should  refrain  from  the  use  of 
tiiat  beverage.  On  May  28,  1770,  the  people  of  Dan- 
vers  in  town  meeting  assembled,  pledged  themselves  to 
neither  import,  buy  or  use  tea  until  the  tax  should  be 
removed.    A  committee  was  appointed  to  convey  a  copy 


60  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

of  the  vote  to  every  family  in  town  for  signatures ;  they 
were  instructed  to  publish  the  names  of  any  who  refused 
to  sign  the  paper,  as  enemies  of  the  country. 

Some  Tea  Episodes. — There  seems  to  have  been  one 
person  found  in  the  town  who  refused  to  comply  with 
this  order.  He  lived  in  the  south  part  of  the  town,  now 
Peabody,  and  the  story  runs  that  as  a  punishment  he 
was  obliged  by  his  neighbors  to  furnish  a  bucket  of 
punch  at  old  Bell  Tavern,  a  famous  hostelry,  and  to 
repeat  over  his  cup  the  following  couplet: 

"I,  Isaac  Wilson  a  Tory  I  be, 
I,  Isaac  Wilson,  I  sell  tea." 

It  is  said  that  however  willing  the  men  may  have  been 
from  patriotic  considerations  to  deny  themselves  the 
luxury  of  tea,  they  found  some  difficulty  in  preventing 
the  women  of  the  household  from  occasionally  partaking 
of  the  forbidden  beverage.  The  story  is  told  that  cer- 
tain husbands  at  the  South  parish  grew  suspicious  of  a 
large  coifee-pot  that  was  seen  migrating  from  place  to 
place  at  quiltings,  and  surmised  that  tea-drinking  was 
being  carried  on  by  their  good  dames.  The  practice  was 
effectually  stopped  by  the  discovery  one  night,  while 
one  of  the  dames  was  in  the  act  of  concealing  the  tea 
grounds  behind  the  back-log,  of  a  good-sized  toad,  which 
had  doubtless  been  placed  in  the  coffee-pot  by  some  of 
the  men  to  cure  them  of  the  scandalous  habit.  It  prob- 
ably had  the  desired  effect. 

Another  incident  is  told  of  the  Page  house.  There 
is  a  family  tradition  that  on  one  occasion  after  the 
drinking  of  tea  had  been  prohibited  in  the  household,  the 
wife  of  the  owner  invited  a  few  friends  who  were  calling 
upon  her,  to  go  to  the  roof  of  the  house  and  indulge  in 
a  sip  of  the  forbidden  drink,  appeasing  her  conscience 
by  arguing  that  ''Upon  a  house  is  not  within  it."^ 

1  See  Lucy  Larcom's  poem,  "A  Gambrel  Eoof." 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  61 

Miss  Anne  L.  Page,  granddaughter  of  Colonel  Page, 
has  written  concerning  Dill,  who  figured  in  the  "Tea 
party"  episode: 

"Deliverance,  or  'Dill,'  as  she  was  always  called,  was 
the  youngest  of  the  three  named  in  the  bill  of  sale  before 
mentioned,  and  was  then  only  a  child.  The  valuable 
part  of  the  purchase,  in  the  buyer's  estimation,  must 
have  been  the  two  elder  ones.  Dill's  mother  and  sister. 
These  two  died  in  a  year  or  two.  Dill  lived  to  good  old 
age  and,  with  other  members  of  the  family,  I  attended 
her  funeral  in  St.  Peter's  church  in  Salem,  of  which 
church  she  was  a  member.  I  think  her  death  occurred 
sometime  in  the  forties.  She  made  up  for  the  loss  upon 
the  other  two.  Combo  and  Cate,  for  she  was  a  faithful 
nurse  to  the  children  and  became  a  cook  of  renown.  I 
remember  when  she  came  to  the  homestead,  to  spend  a 
day,  each  year,  we  children  liked  to  stay  in  the  kitchen 
with  Dill,  who  told  us  stories  and  made  gingerbread  for 
us  that  was  always  of  the  best. 

"In  return  for  her  faithful  service  she  was  always 
treated  kindly  in  my  grandfather's  family.  My  Aunt 
Carroll  once  told  me  that  the  children  did  not  dare  tease 
Dill  for  fear  of  their  grandfather's  displeasure,  and  as 
she  stood  by  his  coffin  in  1806  she  was  heard  to  say,  'He 
was  a  good  man.'  African  trade  was  carried  on  by 
people  in  Salem  and  vicinity,  and  then  vessels  often 
returned  with  a  few  slaves  as  a  part  of  their  cargo. 
These  slaves  found  a  ready  sale,  for  the  New  England 
conscience  still  slumbered  and  slept,  so  far  as  slavery 
was  concerned.  It  is  a  well  authenticated  fact  that  slaves 
of  both  sexes  were  commonly  held  as  family  slaves,  even 
by  many  of  the  clergy,  who  sometimes  acquired  them 
by  purchase,  and  sometimes  as  presents  from  their 
parishioners. 

"Miss  Lucy  Larcom  gives  Dill  a  place  in  the  poem  of 
'The  Gambrel  Roof,'  but  this  was  by  way  of  poetic 


62  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

license.  Dill  loved  to  tell  us  stories  of  'the  goings  on' 
in  the  old  time,  and  would  never  have  omitted  the  story 
of  the  roof-party  if  she  had  known  it.  Besides,  the  tea- 
drinking  was,  and  had  to  be,  a  profound  secret  between 
the  three  tea-drinkers  who  went  slyly  up  the  scuttle 
stairs,  and  sat  on  the  roof  and  drank  their  tea  that 
afternoon.  Mrs.  Page,  the  hostess,  died  within  the  year. 
Mrs.  John  Shillaber,  by  whom  the  account  of  the  event 
was  transmitted,  moved  to  Salem  soon  after  it  happened. 
It  was  only  in  her  old  age,  when  all  who  would  have 
been  disturbed  by  it  had  been  gone  many  years,  that 
she  told  the  story  to  her  daughters.  It  was  from  the 
lips  of  one  of  the  daughters  that  I  heard  the  story,  as 
she  told  it  to  my  father  and  mother,  neither  of  whom 
had  been  born  at  the  time  the  event  occurred.  Had  the 
least  hint  of  the  affair  been  given  at  the  time.  Colonel 
Page  would  have  felt  disgraced,  and  perhaps  would 
have  been  mobbed,  so  strong  was  the  feeling  against 
using  tea. 

"In  her  last  years  Dill  lived  in  a  small,  unpainted 
house  in  North  Salem,  now  North  street,  with  a  willow 
tree  at  the  door,  on  which  in  sunmaer  a  parrot  in  a  green 
cage  hung,  and  called  to  horses  in  imitation  of  drivers 
of  teams  as  they  passed  the  house. 

"Dill  wrote  verses.  Anstis,  her  daughter,  told  me 
that  when  'Ma'am  wanted  to  rhyme  up'  she  would  take 
a  basket  and  go  into  the  woods  and  bring  home  some 
poetry.  I  could  see  where  the  woods  might  be  an  inspi- 
ration, but  the  basket  seemed  irrelevent.  One  of  the 
verses  in  a  poem  of  some  length,  ran  thus: 

'The  minister  he  stands  in  the  pidpit  so  high 
And  tells  us  from  the  Bible  that  we  all  must  die.' 
The  refrain  between  each  verse  ran: 

'They  stole  us  from  Africa,  the  home  of  the  free. 
And  brought  us  in  bondage  across  the  blue  sea.' 


THE  OLD  TO^Y^  OF  DANVERS  63 

"Peace  to  her  memory.  Stolen  from  Africa,  but  not 
exactly  the  'home  of  the  free,'  from  a  little  ignorant, 
friendless,  black  child,  she  came  to  be  an  unusually 
intelligent,  amiable.  Christian  woman." 

A  Firm  Stand  ;  Strong  Resolutions. — During  the 
next  three  years  the  people  of  Danvers  continued  awake 
to  the  difficulties  that  were  besetting  the  colonies.  The 
arrival  of  the  British  troops  and  the  massacre  of  several 
Americans  in  the  streets  of  Boston  were  not  events  cal- 
culated to  produce  a  quieting  effect  upon  the  people. 
In  January,  1773,  the  feelings  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Danvers  were  forcibly  expressed  in  a  set  of  resolutions, 
which  for  strength  and  boldness  never  have  been  equalled 
in  the  town.  They  declared  that  the  rights  of  the  colo- 
nists had  been  greatly  infringed  upon  by  the  mother 
country,  pointing  out  in  detail  their  various  grievances ; 
that  they  stood  "ready,  if  need  be,  to  risk  their  lives  and 
fortunes  in  defence  of  those  liberties  which  our  fore- 
fathers purchased  at  so  dear  a  rate;"  that  their  repre- 
sentative be  instructed  to  "earnestly  contend  for  the  just 
rights  and  privileges  of  the  people  that  they  may  be 
handed  down  inviolate  to  the  latest  posterity;"  to  use 
his  influence  toward  a  strict  union  of  all  the  Provinces 
on  the  continent,  and  not  to  swerve  as  much  as  a  hair's 
breadth  in  standing  resolutely  for  all  the  privileges 
which  they  had  a  right  to  enjoy.  A  committee  consist- 
ing of  Dr.  Samuel  Holten,  Tarrant  Putnam,  Jr.,  and 
Capt.  Wm.  Shillaber,  was  appointed  at  this  meeting  to 
confer  with  the  Committee  of  Correspondence  of  the 
town  of  Boston,  to  whom  a  copy  of  the  resolutions  was 
sent. 

Gen.  Gage's  Arrival;  The  Hooper  House. — 
Early  in  June  1774,  the  people  of  Danvers  were  treated 
to  a  somewhat  unwelcome  surprise  in  the  arrival  of  the 
Royal  Governor,  Gen.  Thomas  Gage.    Finding  Boston 


64  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

a  little  warm  for  his  royal  constitution,  he  changed  the 
seat  of  government  to  Salem,  making  his  headquarters 
at  the  "Hooper  House,"  now  known  as  "The  Lindens," 
formerly  the  residence  of  the  late  Francis  Peabody, 
Esq.,  and  now  of  Ward  Thoron,  Esq.  This  house,  which 
is  still  one  of  the  finest  mansions  to  be  found  in  the 
country,  was  no  less  attractive  in  General  Gage's  time. 
It  was  built  about  1754  by  Robert  Hooper,  a  wealthy 
merchant  of  Marblehead,  who,  once  a  poor  boy,  rose  to 
great  wealth,  and  for  a  time  nearly  monopolized  the 
fishing  business  of  that  town.  He  was  known  as  "King" 
Hooper,  partly  from  the  style  in  which  he  lived,  but 
more  especially  on  account  of  his  personal  honor  and 
integrity.  He  had  decidedly  Tory^  proclivities,  and  the 
story  is  told  that  once  during  the  Revolution,  a  com- 
pany of  patriots  on  the  way  to  join  the  army,  appropri- 
ated to  their  use  the  large  leaden  balls  which  ornamented 
"King"  Hooper's  gateposts.  The  owner  came  to  the 
door  and  remonstrated  with  the  soldiers,  using  such 
vigorous  epithets  not  in  sympathy  with  their  cause,  that 
a  shot  was  fired  from  the  squad  of  men.  The  bullet 
missed  its  mark  and  entered  the  panel  of  the  front  door, 
which  door  has  been  preserved.  Many  important  coun- 
cils took  place  in  this  house  when  the  Governor  enter- 
tained the  prominent  men  of  the  official  circle. 

The  question  was  often  asked,  why  General  Gage 
happened  to  bring  troops  to  Danvers,  and  the  answer 
has  been  given  that  the  General  was  an  officer  of  dis- 
tinction in  the  British  army,  at  one  time  Governor  of 
Montreal,  and  for  ten  years  had  been  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  British  forces  in  America.  It  was  necessar}'" 
to  give  such  a  prominent  man  all  the  protection  needed, 

-  The  only  Tories,  natives  of  Danvers,  were  Rev.  William  Clark,  son 
of  Rev.  Peter  Clark,  who  in  1768  was  an  Episcopal  clergjonan  in 
Quincy,  and  was  afterwards  confined  in  a  prison  ship  in  Boston  har- 
bor ;  and  James  Putnam,  who  went  to  Halifax,  became  a  judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court  and  died  at  St.  Johns  in  1789. 


GEN.  ISRAEL  PUTNAM  (at  left,  with  sword  raised) 
COL.  THOMAS  KNOWLTON  (central  figure  standing),  of  Boxford. 
From  Trumbull's  "  The  Battle  at  Bunker's  Hill." 


BIKTHPLACK  OF  CUL.  ISRAEL  HUTCHINSON,  CENTRE  STREET 
Built  in  1726  for  his  father,  Elisha  Hutchinson 


L)R.  JONATHAN  PRINCE  HOUSE,  HOBART  AND  FOREST  STREETS 

Built  on  Newbury  Street,  opposite  Ingersoll,  by  John  Darling  soon  after  1680  ;  owned 

by  Dr.  Prince  in  1734  ;  by  Capt.  Jonathan  Ingersoll  in  1794;  by  Capt.  Joseph 

Peabody  in  1827.     Removed  to  its  present  location  in  1845  by  John 

Hook.    Now  known  as  the  Hook- Hay  House. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVEES  65 

and  the  soldiers  were  there  to  enforce  by  their  presence 
his  arbitrary  measures.  The  days  were  spent  with  se- 
rious meetings  by  those  favorable  to  the  royal  cause, 
but  the  nights  were  given  to  revelry  and  dancing  by  the 
younger  guests  at  the  mansion,  when  the  officers  of  the 
regiment  took  part  and  made  the  scene  picturesque  with 
their  bright  scarlet  uniforms. 

Mr.  Hooper  was  early  suspected  of  disloyalty,  and 
a  letter  was  sent  to  him  by  the  Committee  of  Safety  of 
the  town  of  Danvers,  requesting  him  to  explain  his 
views  and  the  reasons  of  his  Tory  conduct.  His  reply 
was  read  at  a  town  meeting,  January  1,  1775,  and  it 
was  unanimously  voted  not  satisfactory. 

Of  "King"  Hooper's  family,  Stephen,  his  eldest  son, 
removed  to  Newburyport  and  became  a  prosperous 
merchant.  Joseph  graduated  from  Harvard  and  en- 
gaged in  foreign  trade  in  Marblehead,  removing  to  New- 
buryport near  the  close  of  the  Revolution;  he  was  said 
to  have  become  a  loyalist,  and  his  property  was  con- 
fiscated, after  which  he  went  to  England,  where  he  died. 
Robert  was  a  merchant  of  Marblehead,  as  was  also 
Swett.  All  of  these  children  were,  of  course,  familiar 
with  Danvers,  as  they  probably  passed  many  summers 
at  the  mansion  here.  Robert  Hooper  died  at  Marble- 
head and  was  buried  on  May  23,  1790,  when  all  the 
vessels  in  the  harbor  were  dressed  in  mourning  and  the 
procession  exceeded  anything  known  before  in  honor 
of  a  merchant. 

Presence  of  Soldiers;  How  RECEnrED. — The  first 
two  months  of  the  Governor's  residence  were  marked 
by  no  conspicuous  events.  The  people  did  not  take 
kindly  to  having  the  representative  of  the  Crown  of 
England  in  their  midst,  and  the  feeling  was  greatly 
intensified  when  in  the  latter  part  of  July  two  companies 
of  the  Sixty-fourth  Royal  Infantry  from  Castle  Wil- 


66  CHRONICLES  OP  DANVERS 

liam  were  dispatched  to  attend  the  Governor  in  Danvers. 
The  presence  of  Red  Coats  in  the  town  created  great 
consternation,  but  on  the  whole  they  were  under  good 
disciphne  and  behaved  well. 

A  daughter  of  Archelaus  Putnam  often  told  the  story 
that  one  day  two  officers  surprised  her  in  Colonel  Hutch- 
inson's orchard  at  New  Mills.  To  one  who  commenced 
to  climb  the  fence,  the  other  said,  "Wait  till  the  girl 
goes  away;  do  not  frighten  her."  Governor  Gage  often 
conversed  with  Colonel  Hutchinson.  He  was  affable 
and  courteous,  and  once,  while  sitting  on  a  log  before 
the  door,  he  said,  "We  shall  soon  quell  all  these  feelings 
and  govern  all  this,"  sweeping  out  his  arm  with  an  ex- 
pressive gesture. 

The  soldiers  were  encamped  in  the  field  opposite  the 
house.  They  were  always  watchful  against  surprise, 
realizing  the  hostility  of  the  people  round  about,  and 
occasionally  were  under  arms  all  day.  Many  pranks 
were  played  on  the  troops.  At  the  drum  call  to  arms, 
Aaron  Cheever,  disguised,  dashed  in  on  horseback, 
shouting:  "Plurry  to  Boston!  The  devil  is  to  pay!" 
The  following  September,  General  Gage  decided  that 
his  presence  was  wanted  in  Boston,  and  the  troops  made 
a  night  march  to  that  place.  A  large  oak  in  the  field, 
used  as  a  whipping  post  in  the  camp,  and  afterwards 
called  "King  George's  Whipping  Post,"  was  cut  down 
and  the  timber  used  in  building  the  frigate  "Essex"  at 
Salem  in  1799.  Trees  were  hauled  from  many  of  the 
neighboring  towns  to  be  used  for  this  purpose.  The 
iron  staple  upon  which  the  British  soldiers  were  strung 
up  for  the  lash,  was  found  imbedded  in  the  wood,  which, 
strangely  enough,  became  the  stern-post  of  the  "Essex," 
one  of  the  most  important  vessels  in  the  next  war  with 
England  (1812).  There  are  several  unmarked  graves 
of  British  soldiers  in  the  field  on  the  south  side  of 


JUDGE  SAMUEL  PUTNAM 

,768-  1853 

From  a  daguerreotype 


RESIDENCE  OF  JUDGE  SAMUEL  PUTNAM,  HOLTEN  STREET 
Built  as  a  Summer  Residence  about  1805,  near  the  old  Nathaniel  Putnam  house, 
which  he  demolished  in  1818 


POND  STREET,  SHOWING  PUTNAM'S  POND  AND  MILL 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANYEES  67 

Sylvan  street,  rear  of  the  residence  of  the  late  Israel  W. 
Andrews,  Esq. 

There  was  one  interested  observer  of  the  troops, 
Samuel  Putnam,  a  lad  of  seven  years,  who  a  few  months 
later,  played  the  fife  as  the  soldiers  under  Benedict  Ar- 
nold marched  by  his  home  on  their  way  to  Quebec. 
This  distinguished  man  was  destined  to  devote  his  life 
to  peaceful  pursuits,  being  born  at  too  late  a  day  (1768) 
to  engage  in  the  Revolution.  At  the  age  of  ten  he  began 
fitting  for  college  at  Andover,  graduating  from  Har- 
vard in  1787,  in  the  class  with  John  Quincy  Adams. 
His  inclination  was  toward  law  as  a  profession,  and  he 
established  himself  in  Salem,  where  he  became  one  of 
the  most  renowned  advocates  in  the  state.  No  lawyer 
of  his  time  was  better  versed  than  he  in  the  principles 
of  common,  and  especially  commercial  law.  In  1814, 
upon  the  death  of  the  distinguished  jurist  Chief  Justice 
Sewall,  he  was  appointed  judge  of  the  Supreme  Judicial 
Court  of  this  Commonwealth,  holding  that  high  office 
28  years.  It  has  been  said  of  him  that  "no  man  ever  held 
the  scales  of  justice  more  even;  none  was  ever  more  in- 
tent upon  making  righteous  decrees,  none  ever  more 
fearless  and  independent  in  his  decisions,  none  more  so- 
licitous for  the  deliverance  of  the  wrongfully  accused, 
and  none  more  indignant  against  all  trickery,  lying  and 
fraud."  Judge  Putnam  received  the  degree  of  LL.D. 
from  Harvard  in  1825.  He  was  an  hospitable  man,  and 
delighted  to  show  his  friends  over  his  old  paternal  estate 
in  Danvers,  on  Holten  street,  near  the  pond.  He  was  a 
lover  of  nature,  and  the  setting-out  of  trees  was  one  of 
his  especial  pleasures.  Kind-hearted  and  charitable,  the 
advisor  of  many  a  young  business  man,  and  enjoying 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community,  he  died  in 
Boston,  July  3,  1853.' 

1  See    Biographical    Sketch    of    Judge    Samuel    Putnam    and    Sarah 
(Gooll)   Putnam  in  Danvers  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  10, 


68  chronicles  of  danvers 

England  Renounced;  Preparations  for  the 
Struggle. — During  the  winter  of  1774-75  the  mutter- 
ings  grew  more  intense.  Revolution  was  in  the  air.  On 
November  21,  the  town  voted  to  consider  itself  no  longer 
subject  to  the  laws  of  England,  but  to  adhere  strictly 
to  the  doings  of  the  Provincial  Congress.  As  yet  there 
had  been  no  rupture,  no  engagement,  but  they  eagerly 
prepared  for  the  worst,  and  to  this  end  each  man  was 
provided  with  "an  effective  fire-arm,  bayonet,  pouch, 
knapsack,  thirty  rounds  of  cartridges  and  balls."  Drills 
were  instituted  and  the  constant  tread  of  feet  gave  warn- 
ing of  the  storm  which  was  about  to  break  upon  them. 

The  Militia  of  Danvers. — From  the  close  of  the 
French  and  Indian  war  to  this  period,  Danvers  had  sup- 
ported two  militia  companies,  which  were  attached  to 
the  1st  Regiment  of  Essex  County.  In  1775,  one  was 
in  command  of  Samuel  Flint,  and  the  other,  which  was 
composed  chiefly  of  men  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
town,  was  commanded  by  Samuel  Eppes.  There  were, 
in  addition  to  the  regular  militia,  six  other  companies 
of  "minute  men."  These  were  called  "Alarm  Compan- 
ies," and  stood  ready  to  fight  at  a  moment's  notice. 

British  Repulsed  at  North  Bridge^  Salem. — 
Richard  Skidmore^  was  a  wheelwright  at  New  Mills 
and  had  recently  made  some  gun  carriages.  He  served 
in  all  the  wars,  a  drummer  at  the  siege  of  Louisburg, 
a  soldier  and  privateersman  in  the  Revolution,  and  a 
member  of  the  alarm  list  of  1814. 

"A  patriot,  too,  his  drum  he  beat 
In  three  wars  at  his  country's  call ; 
Beating  the  onset,  not  retreat, 
He  came  victorious  out  of  all." 

1  See  Hanson's  history,  page  104. 


RESIDENCE  OF  COL.   JEREMIAH   PAGE,  KLM  STREET. 
Built  for  him  in  1754. 
The  room  on  the  left  of  the  front  entrance  was  used  as  an  office  by  Gen.  Gage,  the  Royal  Governor, 
in  1774.     This  house  was  the  scene  of  the  tea  party  episode  related  by  Lucy  Larcom  in  her  poem, 
"  A  Gambrel  Roof  " 


BELL  TAVERN  AND   LEXINGTON  MONUMENT. 
In  the  South  Parish  (now  Peabody). 


Z    -I 


f^     E 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  69 

The  guns  themselves  were  concealed  somewhere  in 
North  Salem,  it  is  supposed.  A  report  to  this  effect 
had  reached  Boston,  and  Colonel  Leslie  was  sent  with 
a  detacliment  of  British  regulars  to  find  and  destroy 
them.  He  landed  from  a  transport  at  Marblehead  on 
February  26,  1775,  and  marched  overland  to  Salem. 
News  of  the  approach  of  the  soldiers  flew  like  lightning. 
The  alarm  spread  for  40  miles,  and  in  a  few  hours,  it 
is  said,  40,000  men  would  have  been  on  the  spot.  By 
the  time  Leslie  had  reached  the  North  Bridge  in  Salem, 
the  draw  was  raised,  and  the  opposite  side  of  the  river 
defended  by  men  from  Danvers  and  Salem,  armed  with 
muskets,  pitchforks,  clubs  and  other  rude  weapons,  who 
dared  them  to  proceed  at  peril  of  their  lives.  Among 
them  was  Rev.  Benjamin  Wadsworth,  pastor  of  the 
First  Church,  who  shouldered  his  musket  and  hastened 
to  the  scene.  There  were  three  British  regulars  to  every 
one  American.  The  British  Colonel  was  greatly  en- 
raged when  he  saw  that  the  draw  had  been  raised  and 
his  plans  thwarted,  but  deciding  that  discretion  was  the 
better  part  of  valor  he  finally  agreed  to  return  to  Mar- 
blehead if  he  could  be  allowed  to  cross  the  bridge  and 
so  obey  orders.  This  he  did,  and  then  the  regulars 
marched  back  to  the  transport.  Just  as  the  retreat  was 
made.  Captain  Eppes'  company  of  militia  arrived  from 
Danvers,  armed  and  ready  for  battle.  This  was  the 
first  armed  resistance  to  the  encroachment  of  the  British 
in  this  country.  Here,  nearly  two  months  before  the 
Battle  of  Lexington,  the  people  of  Danvers  and  Salem 
repulsed  the  foe,  and  but  for  the  discretion  of  Leslie, 
the  War  of  the  Revolution  would  have  commenced  at 
the  North  Bridge. 


70  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION;    FAMOUS 
OFFICERS  FROM  DANVERS. 

The  Call  to  Arms  ;  Battle  of  Lexington. — Two 
months  after  the  repulse  at  North  Bridge,  the  British 
instituted  a  similar  search  for  stores  supposed  to  be  con- 
cealed at  Concord.  This  was  the  eighteenth  of  April. 
Early  on  the  morning  of  the  nineteenth,  they  were  met 
by  the  patriot  yeomen  of  Lexington  and  Concord  and 
forced  to  retreat.  The  news  of  a  battle  had  reached 
Danvers  early  on  that  warm  April  morning.  About 
nine  o'clock  the  hurried  hoof-beats  of  a  messenger's 
horse  were  heard  in  the  streets.  The  man  did  not  dis- 
mount, but  called  in  a  loud  voice,  as  he  galloped  along: 
"There's  a  battle  at  Lexington!  We  have  met  the 
British!  Hurry  to  help!"  The  companies  of  Danvers 
did  not  wait  for  a  second  call. 

"Swift  as  the  summons  came  they  left 
The  plow,  'mid  furrow,  standing  still. 
The  half-ground  corn  grist  in  the  mill, 
The  spade  in  earth,  the  axe  in  clift. 

"They  went  where  duty  seemed  to  call. 
They  scarcely  asked  the  reason  why; 
They  only  knew  they  could  but  die. 
And  death  was  not  the  worst  of  all." 

Capt.  Samuel  Flint  and  Capt.  Asa  Prince  with  their 
men  from  the  Village,  Capts.  Samuel  Eppes,  Gideon 
Foster  and  Caleb  Lowe  and  their  companies  from  the 
south  part  of  the  town,  Capt.  Jeremiah  Page  and  his 
minute  men  from  the  Plains,  Capt.  Israel  Hutchinson 
with  the  "New  Mills"  and  Beverly  men,  and  Deacon 
Edmund  Putnam  and  his  Putnamville  and  Beaver 
Brook  men,  303  in  all,  old  and  young  alike,  ran  sixteen 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  71 

miles  and  more  to  the  scene  of  carnage.  Over  fences, 
through  fields,  scaling  stone  walls,  and  then  marching 
on  the  highway,  they  hastened  on.  They  started  about 
10  o'clock;  they  reached  Menotomy  (now  Arlington) 
at  about  two  in  the  afternoon.  The  British  were  said 
to  be  on  the  retreat  into  Charlestown.  The  Dan  vers 
men  with  others  stationed  themselves  in  the  yard  of 
Jason  Russell,  in  the  centre  of  Menotomy,  where  bun- 
dles of  shingles  served  as  a  barricade,  and  awaited  the 
approach  of  the  enemy.  Rumor  had  deceived  the  men 
as  to  the  force  of  the  British.  It  was  their  expectation 
to  here  intercept  their  retreat.  But  suddenly  and  un- 
expectedly the  enemy  came  in  sight,  descending  the  hill 
near  by  in  solid  column  on  their  right,  while  on  the  left 
a  large  flank  guard  was  rapidly  advancing.  The  Dan- 
vers  men  were  caught  in  a  trap,  but  they  fought  desper- 
ately and  gallantly.  The  British,  too,  were  desperate. 
Enraged  at  their  defeat  and  harassed  by  the  Provin- 
cials, who  had  fired  upon  them  from  behind  stone  walls 
and  trees  on  their  retreat,  they  now  saw  a  chance  for 
revenge.  Some  of  the  Americans  were  driven  into  a 
cellar  nearby,  where  horrible  deeds  were  committed,  and 
here  and  in  the  yard  seven  of  Danvers'  young  men  fell, 
and  two  more  were  wounded.  The  dead  were:  Benja- 
min Daland,  Jr.,  Henry  Jacobs,  Jr.,  George  South- 
wick,  Jr.,  Samuel  Cook,  Jr.,  Eben  Goldthwait,  Perley 
Putnam  and  Jotham  Webb.  Danvers  lost  more  men 
than  any  other  town  except  I^exington. 

Captain  Foster,  with  some  of  his  men  on  the  side  of 
the  hill,  finding  themselves  nearly  surrounded,  made  an 
effort  to  gain  the  pond.  Thev  crossed  directly  in  front 
of  the  British  column.  On  the  north  side  of  the  road 
they  took  position  behind  a  ditch  wall.  From  this  re- 
doubt thev  fired  upon  the  enemy  so  long  as  any  of  them 
were  within  range  of  their  muskets.  Some  of  them 
fired  eleven  times,  with  two  bullets  at  each  discharge. 


72  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVEES 

Jotham  Webb,  one  of  the  killed,  had  been  married 
only  a  few  weeks.  When  the  call  came,  he  put  on  his 
wedding  clothes,  saying,  "If  I  die,  I  will  die  in  my  best 
clothes." 

"A  gallant  hero,  too,  was  Webb, 
Nor  deemed  his  nuptial  suit  too  fine 
In  which  to  act  a  soldier's  part 
And  pour  his  gifts  at  Freedom's  shrine ; 

"But  donned  his  best,  and  kissed  his  bride, 
And  sped  to  make  the  sacrifice — 
The  wedding  garb  his  glory  shroud, 
The  fatal  ball  his  pearl  of  price." 

The  house  in  which  Webb  lived  is  stiU  standing,  off 
Merrill  street,  having  been  removed  from  Water 
street.^ 

It  was  a  sorrowful  group  that  congregated  that  night 
in  Colonel  Hutchinson's  house  at  New  Mills,  to  wait  for 
the  news  from  the  battle.  There  were  women  whose 
husbands  had  seen  many  a  bloody  battlefield  in  the  old 
wars,  who  knew  full  well  what  a  dreadful  battle  meant ; 
there  were  young  women,  born  and  bred  in  an  atmos- 
phere of  peace;  and  there  were  little  children  clinging 
to  the  older  ones  with  childish  trust,  feeling  that  some 
awful  thing  was  about  to  happen.  Only  one  man  was 
left  at  New  Mills  that  night,  illness  alone  preventing 
him  from  joining  the  company.  On  the  evening  of  the 
20th,  several  men  on  horseback  drove  up  to  the  house, 
escorting  a  horse-cart,  which  bore  a  precious  burden. 
On  the  kitchen  floor  of  that  house  the  dead  were  un- 
rolled from  the  bloody  sheets,  and  the  next  morning 
were  taken  away  for  burial.  Such  was  Danvers'  part 
in  the  first  battle  of  the  Revolution. 

1  See  Danvers  Historical  Collections,  Vol,  8,  p.  24. 


the  old  town  of  danvers  73 

Period  of  Watchfulness;  The  Revolution. — 
After  the  battle,  the  town  of  Danvers  voted  to  establish 
two  watches  of  thirteen  men  each,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
guard  the  town  every  night.  A  penalty  awaited  any 
one  who  refused  to  do  duty  in  this  direction.  Strict 
rules  were  laid  down  against  the  firing  of  any  guns 
except  in  cases  of  alarm  or  actual  engagement.  The 
watches  were  discontinued  in  July,  when  Congress  pro- 
vided a  guard  for  seaport  towns. 

The  expectation  of  an  outbreak  was  realized  on  the 
memorable  17th  of  June,  when  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill  was  fought,  in  which  a  large  number  of  Danvers 
men  participated.  During  the  following  terrible  eight 
years'  struggle  for  independence,  the  men  of  this  town 
bore  an  honorable  and  important  part.^     Money  was 

5  For  the  names  of  soldiers  see  "Military  and  Naval  Annals  of 
Danvers,"  published  by  the  town,  1896. 

The  following  gravefs  of  Revolutionary  soldiers  have  been  located : 

Walnut  Grove  Cemetery — Summit  Ave.,  Samuel  Cheever,  Thomas 
Putnam,  Nathan  Putnam,  Capt.  Samuel  Page ;  Myrtle  Ave.,  Brig.-Gen. 
Moses  Porter,  Benjamin  Porter ;  Fern  Ave.,  Stephen  Putnam ;  Mag- 
nolia Ave.,  Asa  Tapley ;  Elm  Ave.,  Johnson  Proctor ;  Aster  Path,  Allen 
Putnam. 

High  Street  Cemetery — John  Josslyn,  Capt.  Edmund  Putnam,  Col. 
Jeremiah  Page,  Col.  Israel  Hutchinson,  Nathaniel  Webb,  Jonathan 
Wait,  David  Tarr,  Capt.  Jeremiah  Putnam,  Richard  Skidmore,  Ben- 
jamin Porter. 

Holten  Street  Cetoetery — Hon.  Samuel  Holten,  Col.  Jethro  Putnam, 
Rogers  Nourse,  John  Kettelle,  Michael  Cross. 

Wadsworth  Cemetery — Col.  Enoch  Putnam,  Timothy  Putnam,  Daniel 
Tow^ne. 

Putnamville — Capt.  Benjamin  Putnam. 

Preston  Street— Levi  Preston,  Phineas  Putnam,  Phineas  Putnamj 
Jr.,  Archelaus  Dale,  George  Wyatt. 

Beaver  Brook,  Spring  Street — John  Nichols,  James  Prince. 

Putnam  Cemetery,  near  Hospital — Deacon  Joseph  Putnam. 

Off  Green  Street — Amos  Tapley,  Simon  Mudge,  John  Preston,  Daniel 
Putnam,  Lieut.  Gilbert  Tapley. 

Pope's  Lane — Nathaniel  Pope,  Nathaniel  Pope,  Jr. 

Rebecca  Nurse  Burying  Ground — Matthew  Putnam,  Francis  Nurse. 

Rear  "The  Lindens" — Dr.  Amos  Putnam,  Nathan  Putnam. 

Jacobs  Cemetery,  Gardner's  Hill — Capt.  Seth  Richardson. 

In  1895,  the  town  made  an  appropriation  for  the  purchase  of 
markers  for  the  graves  of  Revolutionary  soldiers,  since  which  time 
the  patriotic  societies  have  decorated  these  graves  annually. 


74  CHEONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

raised  and  the  services  of  hundreds  of  its  citizens  were 
freely  given,  so  it  was  truthfully  said  that 

"On  every  field  where  victory  was  won, 
The  sons  of  Danvers  stood  by  Washington." 

Dr.  Amos  Putnam  was  one  of  the  most  influential 
citizens  of  the  town  at  this  time.  He  was  born  in  Dan- 
vers, October  11,  1722.  He  studied  medicine  and  prac- 
ticed in  this  town  until  the  opening  of  the  French  and 
Indian  war,  when  he  entered  the  Colonial  service  as 
surgeon,  serving  six  months.  During  the  Revolution 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Safety  and  was 
always  a  firm  and  outspoken  patriot.  He  practiced  in 
Danvers  over  half  a  century,  and  died  on  July  26,  1807, 
and  was  buried  in  a  family  lot  in  rear  of  the  "Lindens." 
The  portrait  from  which  the  accompanying  cut  was 
made  is  the  most  ancient  Putnam  portrait  known. 

GEN.  ISRAEL  PUTNAM. 

A  Revolutionary  hero  of  whom  Danvers  will  always 
be  proud  was  Gen.  Israel  Putnam,  whose  biography  is 
really  a  matter  of  national  history.  In  the  house  now 
standing  at  the  corner  of  Newbury  and  Maple  streets, 
he  first  saw  the  light  on  January  7,  1718,  in  a  back  room 
which  is  still  preserved  with  all  its  ancient  furnishings. 
The  old  part  of  the  house  was  built  probably  about  1641 
by  Lieut.  Thomas  Putnam,  his  grandfather,  and  came 
into  possession  of  the  General's  father,  Joseph  Putnam. 
His  boyhood  was  distinguished  by  strength  and  courage, 
and  with  hard  work  on  the  farm  and  plenty  of  athletic 
exercise  he  laid  the  foundation  of  a  vigorous  constitu- 
tion. At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  married  Hannah 
Pope,  and  soon  removed  to  Pomfret,  Conn.,  in  the 
vicinity  of  which  he  made  his  home  ever  after.    It  was 


< 

z, 

H 
t3     o 


BIRTHPLACE  OF  GEN.  ISRAEL  PUTNAM 


HOME  OF  COL.  ISRAEL  HUTCHINSON,  WATER  STREET 

Built  by  Samuel  Clark,  son  of  Rev.  Peter  Clark,  about  1760.     He  exchanged  houses  in 

1762,  with  Col.  Israel  Hutchinson,  who  then  lived  in  the  Hutchinson-Clark  house 

now  on  Essex  Street.     Here  were  brought  the  bodies  of  the  Danvers  men 

slain  in  the  Battle  of  Lexington.      Demolished  when  the  Danvers- 

port  railroad  station  was  erected  in  1889 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  75 

there  that  he  had  the  famous  encounter  with  the  wolf 
in  her  den.  The  neighborhood  had  been  greatly  excited 
at  the  meanderings  of  the  wolf,  but  no  one  had  the  cour- 
age to  attack  her.  Putnam,  with  his  usual  fearlessness, 
came  to  their  rescue,  entered  the  cave  and  shot  the  wolf, 
much  to  the  relief  of  the  people. 

His  first  service  for  his  country  was  in  the  French 
and  Indian  War.  He  commanded  a  company  at  Ticon- 
deroga,  where  he  attracted  much  attention  on  account 
of  his  undaunted  courage.  When  the  Revolution  broke 
out  he  had  risen  to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
Upon  receiving  the  news  of  the  Battle  of  Lexington,  in 
his  Connecticut  home,  he  left  his  plough  in  the  furrow, 
and  seizing  his  coat  from  a  tree  where  it  hung,  turned 
his  horse  loose,  and  hastened  to  the  scene  of  the  conflict. 

Commissioned  a  Major-General  by  George  Wash- 
ington, who  had  been  appointed  Commander-in-chief  of 
the  armies,  he  commanded  the  American  forces  at  the 
Battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  he  dis- 
played the  utmost  bravery  and  calmness.  It  was  at  this 
time  that  he  gave  the  famous  command  to  his  men: 
"Don't  fire  until  you  can  see  the  whites  of  their  eyes," 
the  wisdom  of  which  was  realized  when  it  was  seen  how 
great  had  been  the  destruction  of  the  enemy.  Through 
all  the  years  of  the  war  he  distinguished  himself.  "He 
dared  to  lead  where  any  dared  to  follow."  His  courage 
was  sometimes  of  a  reckless  type,  as  when  (1778)  on 
horseback  he  plunged  down  the  hundred  stone  steps  at 
Horseneck,  Conn.,  to  escape  death  at  the  hands  of  the 
British,  a  feat  which  would  have  been  sure  death  to 
anyone  but  Putnam.  He  was  not  a  man  of  learning; 
his  education  had  been  such  as  could  be  obtained  occa- 
sionally winters  in  the  district  school,  but  he  had  a  large 
amount  of  good  judgment,  common-sense  and  love  of 
country  that  completely  eclipsed  all  consideration  of 
his  ignorance  of  books.     Washington  was  his  friend, 


76  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

and  all  the  great  generals  and  leaders  of  his  time  were 
loud  in  their  praise  of  "Old  Put,"  as  his  devoted  soldiers 
loved  to  call  him.  George  Washington  wrote  General 
Putnam,  June  2,  1783: 

"Your  favor  of  the  20th  of  May  I  received  with  much 
pleasure.  For  I  can  assure  you  that  among  the  many 
worthy  and  meritorious  officers  with  whom  I  have  had 
the  happiness  to  be  connected  in  service  through  the 
course  of  this  war,  and  from  whose  cheerful  assistance 
in  the  various  and  trying  vicissitudes  of  a  complicated 
contest,  the  name  of  a  Putnam  is  not  forgotten,  nor  will 
be  but  with  that  stroke  of  time  which  shall  obliterate 
from  my  mind  the  remembrance  of  all  those  toils  and 
fatigues  through  which  we  have  struggled  for  the  pres- 
ervation and  establishment  of  the  rights,  liberties  and 
independence  of  our  country.  Your  congratulations  on 
the  happy  prospects  of  peace  and  independent  security, 
with  their  attendant  blessings  to  the  United  States,  I 
receive  with  great  satisfaction,  and  beg  that  you  will 
accept  a  return  of  my  gratulations  to  you  on  this  aus- 
picious event,  an  event  in  which  you  have  a  right  to  par- 
ticipate largely,  from  the  distinguished  part  you  have 
contributed  toward  its  attainment." 

In  that  famous  painting,  "The  Battle  of  Bunker 
Plill,"  the  face  and  form  of  Putnam  is  distinctly  seen. 
It  was  copied  from  a  portrait  painted  from  life  by  John 
Trumbull.^ 

General  Putnam  died  on  May  19,  1790,  at  his  home 

1  Trumbull  also  sketched  numerous  portraits  on  drumheads  and  old 
pieces  of  deerskin  during  his  service  in  the  army  with  Washington. 
Among  them  are  two  in  which  he  is  in  council  with  General  Putnam 
and  Benedict  Arnold,  one  in  which  Washington  is  issuing  a  military 
order  to  Putnam,  and  another  in  which  Putnam  is  seated  on  a  drum, 
Washington  standing  by  his  side  with  his  hand  on  the  old  general's 
shoulder. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  77 

in  Brooklyn,  Conn.,  and  was  buried  with  military 
honors/ 

His  monument  bears  this  inscription : 

"Passenger — If  thou  art  a  soldier  drop  a  tear  over 
the  dust  of  a  hero  who,  ever  attentive  to  the  lives  and 
happiness  of  his  men,  dared  to  lead  where  any  dared  to 
follow.  If  a  patriot,  remember  the  distinguished  and 
gallant  services  rendered  thy  country  by  the  patriot  who 
sleeps  beneath  this  marble.  If  thou  art  honest,  gener- 
ous, and  worthy,  render  a  cheerful  tribute  of  respect  to 
a  man  whose  generosity  was  singular,  whose  honesty 
was  proverbial,  who  raised  himself  to  universal  esteem 
and  offices  of  eminent  distinction  by  personal  worth  and 
a  useful  life." 

GEN.  MOSES  PORTER. 

Forty-seven  years  in  the  service  of  his  country — that 
is  the  record  of  Gen.  Moses  Porter,  who  was  born  in  a 
house  on  Locust  street,  at  Porter's  hill,  on  March  26, 
1736.  This  house,  which  was  demolished  in  1902,  when 
the  Watts  residence  was  erected,  was  built  early  in  the 
18th  century.  It  was  the  home  of  Zerubbabel  Rea, 
later  the  home  of  Dr.  Caleb  Rea,  whose  sister  married 
Benjamin  Porter,  the  father  of  the  General.  When 
but  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  caught  the  patriotic  enthu- 
siasm of  the  times,  hastened  to  Marblehead,  and  enlisted 
in  an  artillery  company  for  the  fight  at  Bunker  Hill. 
Here  he  was  the  last  to  leave  the  guns.  He  was  at  the 
siege  of  Boston,  the  campaign  on  Long  Island  and  at 
New  York,  and  at  White  Plains,  doing  valiant  service 
under  Generals  Washington  and  Knox.  He  crossed 
the  Delaware  with  Washington,  took  part  in  the  battles 

5  A  fine  equestrian  statue  of  Putnam  has  be;en  erected  in  Brooklyn, 
and  a  tablet  placed  by  Gen.  Israel  Putnam  Chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  marks 
his  birthplace. 


78  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

of  Trenton  and  the  Brandywine,  was  wounded  at  Fort 
INIifflin,  and  then  helped  to  strengthen  and  hold  West 
Point. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  he  was  ordered  to  the 
northwestern  frontier  to  fight  the  Indians.  His  long 
service  there  was  remarkable  for  great  achievements. 
In  his  capacity  of  engineer,  he  was  of  inestimable  value 
to  the  country.  At  Fort  Detroit  he  was  the  first  to 
unfurl  the  stars  and  stripes  over  Michigan  soil.  Then 
he  commanded  the  forces  at  Fort  Mackinaw,  later  Fort 
Niagara,  and  leading  his  men  down  through  western 
Pennsylvania  to  the  Red  river  region,  kept  at  bay  the 
threatening  forces  of  Spaniards  and  Mexicans.  He  then 
pushed  on  to  New  Orleans  through  a  great  trackless 
wilderness. 

Just  at  this  time  (1812)  the  country  was  threatened 
with  another  war  with  England,  and  he  was  called  to 
civilization  once  more  to  put  the  Atlantic  coast  in  a  state 
of  defence.  He  built  new  forts  and  stationed  batteries 
all  the  way  from  New  York  to  Maine,  and  when  the 
struggle  finally  came,  he  was  sent  again  to  Fort  Niagara 
to  take  command  of  the  frontier  against  the  English, 
with  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General.  Finally  he  was 
placed  in  command  at  Fort  Norfolk,  Va.  This  was 
the  great  event  of  his  life.  All  eyes  were  turned  to 
Norfolk,  and  for  long,  anxious  months  the  great  and 
proud  naval  squadrons  of  England  moved  back  and 
forth,  in  and  out  the  bays,  ready  to  pounce  upon  their 
prey.  But  Porter  was  there.  He  so  fortified  the  main 
points  and  increased  his  forces  and  kept  them  well  drilled 
and  ready  for  attack,  having  at  last  10,000  men  under 
him,  and  yet  thousands  of  them  sick,  that  the  enemy 
did  not  dare  make  him  a  visit,  and  finally  put  to  sea. 
Again  he  was  retained  in  service  after  peace  was  de- 
clared, and  when  the  country  was  divided  into  great 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  79 

geographical  departments,  at  the  head  of  which  was 
placed  some  old  distinguished  veteran,  General  Porter 
was  made  successively  commander,  first  of  the  1st  in 
Northern  New  York,  with  his  headquarters  at  Green- 
bush;  then  of  the  3d,  with  his  headquarters  at  New 
York  City;  then  of  the  4th,  with  his  headquarters  at 
Philadelphia,  and  finally  of  the  2d,  with  headquarters 
at  Boston,  near  the  scene  of  his  youthful  glory.  Estab- 
lishing his  headquarters  afterwards  in  Watertown  and 
Cambridge,  he  died  in  April,  1822,  and  was  first  buried 
with  public  honors  on  the  ground  of  the  old  Stone 
Chapel,  Boston,  the  stores  of  the  city  being  closed  and 
a  great  military  pageant  taking  place  in  his  honor. 
His  old  war-horse  was  led  in  the  long  procession  which 
followed  his  remains  and  in  which  were  celebrated  gen- 
erals and  colonels  and  naval  commanders  who,  like  him- 
self, had  been  defenders  of  the  country  in  many  a  notable 
campaign.  His  remains  were  later  removed  to  Walnut 
Grove  Cemetery,  Danvers. 

General  Porter  was  an  able  as  well  as  a  brave  man, 
but  his  modesty  prevented  him  from  taking  any  credit 
to  himself.  Quiet  and  unassuming,  he  served  his  coun- 
try faithfully  to  the  end  of  a  long  life.  He  was  un- 
married. A  large  tray  taken  from  the  English  by 
General  Porter,  silver  drinking  cups  and  other  trophies 
of  the  Revolution,  have  been  handed  down  in  the  Porter 
family. 

GEN.  GIDEON  FOSTER. 

This  worthy  Revolutionary  hero  was  born  in  that  part 
of  the  old  town  of  Danvers,  now  Peabody,  on  Feb.  24, 
1749.  In  his  early  days  he  improved  the  limited  oppor- 
tunities for  an  education,  so  that  he  became  an  excellent 


80  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

draughtsman,  a  fine  penman  and  a  skillful  surveyor. 
He  had  considerable  mechanical  genius,  having  planned 
and  constructed  all  the  machinery  used  in  his  mills. 

Gideon  Foster  organized  a  company  of  "Minute 
Men,"  when  the  colonies  were  threatened  by  English 
oppression,  who  were  at  the  North  bridge  encounter  at 
Salem,  and  later  at  the  Battle  of  Lexington.  After 
this  engagement  he  was  stationed  at  Brighton,  and  was 
at  the  scene  of  the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  although  he 
did  not  participate  in  it.  Being  ordered  to  escort  a  load 
of  ammunition  to  Charlestown,  he  met  the  Americans  on 
the  retreat  after  the  fight.  Their  ammunition  was  gone, 
and  Captain  Foster  and  his  men,  with  their  hands  and 
dippers,  filled  the  troops'  horns,  pockets  and  hats,  and 
whatever  else  they  had  that  would  hold  powder.  At 
the  same  time  the  enemy's  shot  were  constantly  whistl- 
ing by,  but  they  worked  on,  wholly  unmindful  of  the 
danger. 

In  the  State  militia,  during  times  of  peace,  he  ren- 
dered good  service,  advancing  step  by  step,  until,  in 
1801,  he  was  elected  Major  General  by  the  Legislature. 
"He  was  chosen  commander  of  a  company  of  'exempts' 
during  the  War  of  1812,  and  he  never  lost  his  military 
ardor,  but  to  the  last  the  sound  of  the  drum  was  music 
to  his  ear.  He  was  nurtured  in  that  school  of  patri- 
otism which  taught  that  opposition  to  tyrants  is  obedi- 
ence to  God.  Liberty  and  love  of  country  were  his  early 
and  abiding  passions."  General  Foster  was  honored 
by  his  fellow-citizens  with  many  town  offices,  and  he  also 
served  in  the  State  Legislature.  He  lived  to  be  ninety- 
six  years  of  age,  the  last  commissioned  officer  of  the 
lievolution.  He  died  Nov.  1,  1845,  and  was  given  a 
military  funeral. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  81 

COL.  ISRAEL  HUTCHINSON. 

Israel  Hutchinson^  was  born  in  1727  in  an  old  house 
on  Centre  Street,  near  where  it  crosses  Newbury. 
Ijittle  is  known  of  his  early  life,  but  when  he  reached 
manhood,  he  is  mentioned  as  a  member  of  a  scouting 
party  penetrating  the  wilderness  of  Maine  in  perilous 
Indian  warfare.  The  next  position  of  prominence  was 
when,  as  Captain,  he  fought  so  nobly  at  the  Heights  of 
Abraham  in  the  capture  of  Quebec.  Hutchinson  had 
gained  valuable  experience  at  Lake  George  and  Ticon- 
deroga.  The  English  had  been  trying  to  take  Quebec, 
the  stronghold  of  the  French,  for  three  months,  but  had 
failed.  It  seemed  next  to  impossible  to  get  into  a  posi- 
tion to  reduce  the  fortress,  situated  as  it  was  on  such  an 
elevation.  Finally  there  was  discovered  a  narrow  bridle 
path  leading  upwards  through  the  woods  to  the  summit. 
This  was  the  only  chance  the  English  had. 

In  the  early  morning  of  the  13th  of  September,  1759, 
Captain  Hutchinson  and  his  men,  with  others,  floated 
down  the  St.  Lawrence  river,  without  the  use  of  oars, 
for  silence  must  be  preserved.  They  touched  at  a  little 
cove  and  the  sentinels  who  guarded  this  secret  path, 
were  overpowered.  Hutchinson  and  his  men  pulled 
themselves  up  by  catching  roots,  branches  and  stones, 
and  digging  out  steps  in  the  mountain  side  as  they  ad- 
vanced. By  daylight  they  had  reached  the  summit. 
The  French  could  not  believe  their  eyes  when  they  be- 
held this  band  of  Englishmen  on  the  Plains  of  Abraham. 
A  terrific  battle  took  place,  as  a  result  of  which  Quebec 
became  an  English  possession.  Capt.  Israel  Hutchin- 
son, then  thirty-two  years  of  age,  escaped  uninjured 
from  the  awful  conflict. 

1  The  monument  which  has  been  erected  to  his  memory  near  the 
Danvefrsport  station,  stands  near  the  site  of  his  liome. 


82  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVEBS 

Sixteen  years  later,  Captain  Hutchinson  with  his 
company  of  minute  men  marched  from  his  home  at 
Danversport  to  Lexington,  on  the  19th  of  April,  1775. 
For  his  meritorious  conduct  here  he  was  appointed  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel of  the  19th  Massachusetts  Regiment, 
with  headquarters  at  Cambridge.  At  sunset  of  June  16, 
1775,  Lt.-Col.  Hutchinson  marched  from  Cambridge 
common  to  Bunker  Hill.  At  midnight  they  began  to 
throw  up  a  redoubt,  and  by  sunrise  of  the  following  day 
they  disclosed  to  the  astonished  British  a  fort  that  rose 
out  of  the  night  as  if  by  magic.  All  that  morning,  in  the 
terrible  heat,  exhausted  and  famished,  without  food  or 
water,  that  handful  of  men  waited  for  the  attack  of  the 
British.  And  when  it  came,  with  what  determination 
both  sides  fought  is  recorded  in  history.  Hutchinson 
was  rewarded  after  the  battle  by  appointment  as  Colonel 
of  the  27th  Regiment  of  the  Army  of  the  United 
Colonies. 

On  the  night  of  the  famous  retreat  from  Long  Island 
(Aug.  29,  1776)  to  the  mainland,  Hutchinson  and  his 
men  helped  save  Washington  and  his  forces  from  cap- 
ture and  possible  destruction.  Washington  had  been 
caught  like  a  rat  in  a  trap,  and  his  only  means  of  escape 
was  by  transports  to  the  mainland.  He  ordered  every 
transport  that  could  be  found  to  set  out  at  once,  adding 
"they  must  be  manned  by  some  of  Col.  Hutchinson's 
men."  A  heavy  easterly  storm  was  raging.  At  8  in 
the  evening  the  boats  were  ready,  manned  by  Hutch- 
inson's Danvers  and  Salem  men,  but  for  three  hours 
they  waited  before  the  tempest  abated  sufficiently  to 
embark.  Fortunately,  a  heavy  fog  settled  down,  which 
concealed  the  doings  of  Hutchinson,  until  the  army  was 
removed  to  a  place  of  safety.  At  Newark  and  Trenton, 
the  name  of  Colonel  Hutchinson  is  found,  but  Christmas 
night  of  1776  is  second  to  none  of  the  other  great  events 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  88 

in  his  life.  With  Washington  he  crossed  the  Delaware 
to  attack  the  Hessians  at  Trenton.  The  men  were  rag- 
ged and  half  fed.  It  was  a  bitter  winter  night.  The 
wind  howled  from  the  northeast  and  by  midnight  a  driv- 
ing snow  storm  was  raging.  Undaunted,  they  strug- 
gled on  through  the  ice  in  the  river  and  at  four  the  next 
morning  they  appeared  before  the  enemy,  surprised 
them  and  forced  them  to  surrender.  Such  was  the  mili- 
tary life  of  Colonel  Hutchinson. 

In  1777,  and  for  nineteen  years  thereafter,  Colonel 
Hutchinson  represented  Danvers  in  the  General  Court, 
and  for  two  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Governor's 
Council. 

In  personal  appearance  he  was  of  medium  height, 
quick  in  his  movements,  while  dignified  and  courteous 
in  his  manner.  He  was  affable,  social  and  generous. 
After  his  long  public  service  he  spent  his  declining  years 
in  the  quiet  of  his  home,  attending  to  his  mill.  His  life 
of  activity  was  a  blessing  to  the  people  among  whom  he 
lived ;  a  leader  of  men,  he  inspired  others  to  noble  action. 
His  industry  was  one  of  his  most  noticeable  qualities, 
to  the  extent  that  his  neighbors  used  it  as  a  byword  and 
predicted  that  he  would  sooner  or  later  lose  his  life  in 
his  mill.  The  prediction  proved  true,  for  in  March, 
1811,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years,  while  removing 
ice  from  the  water-wheel,  he  received  injuries  which 
caused  his  death  on  the  15th  of  that  month.  He  was 
buried  in  High  street  cemetery. 

COL.  JEREMIAH  PAGE. 

About  the  middle  of  the  18th  century  a  man  named 
Andrews,  who  lived  in  Putnamville,  needed  some  bricks 
to  build  a  chimney,  and  went  to  Medford  to  get  them. 
Andrews  told  the  brickmaker  that  there  was  good  clay 


84  CHRONICLES  OF  DANYERS 

in  Danvers,  and  asked  him  to  send  someone  to  com- 
mence working  it.  Accordingly  his  son,  then  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  came  to  Danvers,  boarded  in  Andrews' 
family,  married  one  of  his  daughters,  and  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  bricks.  This  young  man  was  Jere- 
miah Page. 

He  built  the  house  on  Elm  street — now  removed  to 
Page  street  by  the  Danvers  Historical  Society — soon 
after  his  settlement  in  town,  and  with  his  own  hands 
brought  from  the  woods  near  by  the  elm  trees  which 
grew  to  such  enormous  proportions  and  surrounded  the 
old  house.  He  was  a  staunch  patriot  and  was  captain 
of  a  militia  company  before  the  Revolution.  While 
General  Gage  was  stationed  in  Danvers,  he  occupied 
the  front  room  of  the  house  as  an  office,  from  the  win- 
dows of  which,  it  is  said,  there  was  an  uninterrupted 
view  of  Salem  harbor.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Kevolution,  he  led  a  company  of  minute  men  to  Lex- 
ington from  the  door  of  his  house,  which  was  the  assem- 
bly place  agreed  upon.  He  was  commissioned  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel of  the  Eighth  Essex  Regiment  in  1776. 
The  same  year  he  performed  duty  at  Horseneck,  being 
among  those  drafted  for  the  relief  of  New  York.  He 
was  in  the  famous  Battle  of  White  Plains,  Oct.  18, 
1776.  A  year  later  he  resigned  and  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days  at  home,  taking  an  active  part  in  town  affairs. 
He  died  June  8,  1806,  and  was  buried  in  High  street 
cemetery. 

COL.  ENOCH  PUTNAM. 

Another    distinguished    son    of    Danvers    was    Col. 
Enoch  Putnam.^    Born  Feb.  18,  1732,  in  the  old  Put- 

1  A  plain  gold  ring  given  by  Enoch  Pntnam  to  his  wife,  bearing  the 
inscription  "Kemember  the  giver — E.  P.,"  is  in  the  possession  of  one 
of  his  great,  great  granddaughters. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  85 

nam  homestead  near  "Oak  Knoll,"  he  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  farmer  during  his  early  years.  He  served 
in  a  militia  company  before  the  Revolution,  and  at  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war,  hastened  to  Lexington  as  sec- 
ond lieutenant  in  Capt.  Israel  Hutchinson's  company. 
The  following  month  (May,  1775)  he  received  a  Cap- 
tain's commission.  In  1778  he  is  found  as  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  in  command  of  the  Eighth  Essex  Regiment, 
serving  in  this  rank  until  1780.  The  next  year  he  was 
in  command  of  re.gulars  raised  for  three  months,  at  West 
Point,  and  on  the  14th  of  November,  1782,  he  was 
appointed  a  full  Colonel. 

After  his  retirement  from  the  army,  he  served  the 
town  in  many  important  capacities.  He  died  in  1796, 
and  was  probably  buried  in  Wadsworth  cemetery, 
although  no  stone  marks  his  grave. 

REV.  BENJAMIN  BALCH. 

Rev.  Benjamin  Balch,  who  resided  in  New  Mills 
from  1774-1784,  was  a  character  who  figured  in  some 
of  the  most  thrilling  events  of  the  Revolution.  He 
graduated  from  Harvard  in  1763,  and  while  preaching 
in  Machias  met  his  future  wife,  a  pretty  Irish  girl  and 
a  member  of  his  congregation,  the  daughter  of  Morris 
O'Brien.  Her  brother,  Col.  Jeremiah  O'Brien,  has  been 
credited  with  winning  the  first  naval  victory  of  the  war, 
while  another  brother,  Capt.  John  O'Brien,  was  a  noted 
shipowner  of  Newburyport,  Boston  and  New  York, 
from  which  family,  curiously  enough,  the  Rev.  Jeremiah 
Chaplin,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  New  Mills,  in 
a  later  generation,  took  his  bride.  The  O'Briens  were 
most   ardently  devoted  to  the  cause  of  the  colonies. 

Benjamin  Balch  was  chosen,  in  1775,  lieutenant  of 
the  New  Mills  Alarm  company  that  marched  to  the 


86  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

Battle  of  Lexington.  From  that  time  his  patriotic  ser- 
vices were  continuous,  serving  as  Chaplain  in  the  army 
until  1778,  when  he  was  appointed  Chaplain  of  the 
frigate  "Boston,"  on  which  two  of  his  sons  were  serving. 
In  1781  he  was  assigned  to  the  famous  frigate  "Alli- 
ance," Capt.  James  Barry,  built  in  Salisbury,  and  said 
to  have  been  the  first  frigate  built  for  the  Continental 
Congress,  and  his  services  in  that  year  were  marked  by 
interesting  events  consequent  upon  the  activity  of  that 
vessel  under  her  gallant  commander,  and  the  leadership 
of  John  Paul  Jones.  Balch  earned  the  designation  of 
the  "fighting  parson,"  when  in  a  perilous  engagement 
with  two  British  vessels  he  armed  himself  and  fought 
with  the  others  in  a  desperate  and  successful  struggle 
in  which  the  "Alliance"  captured  both  vessels.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  he  resumed  preaching,  and  died  in  Bar- 
rington,  N.  H.,  in  1815.^ 

OTHERS  HIGH  ON  ROLL  OF  HONOR. 

There  were  many  other  Danvers  men  on  the  roll  of 
honor  during  the  war.  Major  Caleb  Low  served  in  the 
Indian  wars  and  in  the  Revolution  under  Washington; 
Major  Sylvester  Osborne,  who,  at  sixteen  years  of  age, 
rushed  to  the  Lexington  fight;  Capt.  Samuel  Eppes, 
who  hurried  to  Lexington  in  advance  of  his  regiment; 
Capt.  Samuel  Flint,  the  only  commissioned  officer  from 
Danvers  killed  in  the  Revolution,  which  occurred  at 
Stillwater  in  1777,  the  hero  of  the  French  wars,  who, 
when  asked  where  he  could  be  found  on  a  certain  day, 
replied,  "Where  the  enemy  is,  there  you  will  find  me"; 
Capt.  Samuel  Page,  son  of  Col.  Jeremiah  Page,  who 
served   all  through  the   Revolution;   Capt.   Dennison 

1  See  Danvers  Historical  CollectioBS,  Vol.  7,  p.  86.  Balch 's  son 
William  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Rev.  Dr.  Benjamin  Wadsworth  of 
Danvers. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  87 

Wallis,  who,  when  nineteen  years  old,  received  twelve 
bullet  wounds  in  the  fight  at  Lexington ;  Capt.  Jeremiah 
Putnam,  a  faithful  officer  to  the  end  of  the  war;  Capt. 
Asa  Prince,  who,  in  attempting  to  escape  from  the 
hands  of  the  British  on  June  17th,  1775,  dislocated  his 
ankle,  and  courageously  thrust  the  bone  back  into  the 
socket  and  renewed  his  flight;  Capt.  Levi  Preston  and 
Capt.  Johnson  Proctor,  worthy  sons  of  the  south  part 
of  the  town;  and  Capt.  Edmund  Putnam,  the  "fighting 
deacon,"  who,  at  the  head  of  his  company  of  minute 
men,  marched  to  Lexington;  Seth  Richardson  of  "New 
Mills,"  afterwards  a  well-known  sea  captain,  who  en- 
listed at  sixteen  and  saw  some  of  the  hardest  service,  at 
Valley  Forge,  Monmouth  and  Hubbardston,  under 
Captain  Page;- — these  and  many  more  grandly  fought 
for  the  freedom  of  America. 

"God  give  us  grace  to  know  full  well, 
Who  sowed  the  seed  that  we  might  reap ; 
And,  while  eternal  harvests  grow, 
Let  memory  her  jewels  keep." 

EDUCATION  AND  BUSINESS  DEVELOP- 
MENTS AFTER  THE  REVOLUTION. 

Shipbuilding  Introduced  at  New  Mills. — Al- 
most as  soon  as  Archelaus  Putnam  had  built  his  grist 
mills,  sharp-eyed  men  from  the  shipbuilding  towns  saw 
an  opening  at  New  Mills  for  their  business.  The  first 
to  engage  in  the  business  here  was  Timothy  Stephens 
of  Newbury,  an  enterprising  and  skillful  builder,  from 
whom  many  young  men  learned  the  trade  and  estab- 
lished "yards"  of  their  own.  During  the  Revolution 
several  privateers  were  built  at  New  Mills  for  use  in 
the  service,  besides  merchant  ships  for  the  trade.    When 


88  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

the  war  broke  out,  the  firm  of  Pinder,  Kent  &  Fowler 
had  a  contract  to  build  a  large  ship  for  a  London  house, 
but  the  impending  hostilities  prevented  them  from  rig- 
ging and  fitting  her.  So  long  as  she  remained  on  the 
stocks,  the  builders  could  get  no  pay,  and  the  English 
agent,  Capt.  John  Lee,  who  was  superintending  the 
building  refused  to  allow  her  to  be  launched.  How- 
ever, all  the  ship  carpenters  mustered  one  night  and 
slid  her  into  the  water.  A  lawsuit  was  the  result.  The 
New  Mills  builders  never  received  their  pay,  and  the 
good  ship,  floating  with  the  tides,  rotted  in  the  river. 

The  privateers  "Harlequin,"  "Jupiter"  and  "Grand 
Turk,"  were  built  here  during  the  Revolution,  and  the 
Kents  continued  this  business  for  many  years,  being 
succeeded  by  Ira  Story  in  the  middle  of  the  nineteentli 
century. 

Danvers'  First  Printing  Office. — About  the  time 
of  the  Revolution,  there  appears  to  have  been  a  print- 
ing office  in  Danvers.  It  was  located  in  a  small  build- 
ing, next  adjoining  Bell  Tavern,  in  what  is  now  Pea- 
body,  and  the  printer  was  Ezekiel  Russell,  who  had  been 
engaged  in  the  business  in  Salem.  Here  were  printed 
books  of  various  kinds,  and  "Bickerstaff's  Boston  Al- 
manac" (1779),  a  publication  containing  much  advice, 
not  to  mention  correct  forecasts  of  wind  and  weather 
for  New  England,  accompanied  by  crude  illustrations. 
The  printing  office  was  the  receptacle  for  old  rags,  sail- 
cloth, junk,  or  anything  that  could  be  converted  into 
paper — a  scarce  article  just  at  this  time.  Bibles,  school 
books  and  religious  books  were  kept  on  sale  in  this  pub- 
lication office  "at  Danvers,  near  Boston,"  as  the  adver- 
tisement reads.  Russell  discontinued  his  business  and 
removed  to  Boston  about  1782. 

First  School  at  Putnamville. — The  children  of 
Putnam ville  had  the  benefit  of  a  school  as  early  as  1777; 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  89 

a  schoolhouse  was  built  on  a  small  ledge  near  the  corner 
of  North  and  Locust  streets,  and  here  many  of  the  men 
and  women  who  afterward  made  Putnamville  one  of 
the  busiest  and  most  prosperous  sections  of  the  town, 
received  their  early  education.  Not  long  after  this,  a 
new  building  was  erected  (1787)  very  near  the  old  one. 
This  later  one  had  an  interesting  and  varied  history. 
After  generations  of  use  as  a  schoolhouse,  it  became 
the  shoe  factory  of  Elias  Putnam  (1812),  having  been 
moved  to  another  part  of  Putnamville,  and  a  new  school- 
house  erected  on  the  site.  Here  it  was  the  scene  of 
many  hot  political  as  well  as  religious  debates.  Here, 
when  liberal  thought  in  the  churches  began  to  show  it- 
self, its  advocates,  the  early  Universalists,  held  their 
first  meetings.  And  when  its  usefulness  as  a  factory 
was  ended  it  was  moved  to  Tapleyville  (1832),  where 
it  was  remodeled  into  a  tenement  house,  remaining 
standing  until  the  Tapley  school  was  erected  (1896). 

Primitive  Shoemaking;  First  Shoe  Factory  in 
United  States. — In  the  early  days  before  the  Revolu- 
tion, the  business  of  making  shoes  was  confined  to  little 
shops,  built  by  the  farmers  near  their  houses.  Here, 
during  the  winter  months,  when  work  on  the  farm  was 
suspended,  the  time  was  profitably  spent  with  the  ham- 
mer and  awl  in  the  production  of  shoes  for  the  neigh- 
borhood. 

About  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  Zerubbabel  Porter, 
brother  of  Gen.  Moses  Porter,  was  engaged  in  the  cur- 
rying of  leather  in  a  little  shop  which  stood  on  Locust 
street  on  a  knoll  in  front  of  the  residence  of  the  late  An- 
drew C.  Watts  at  Putnamville.  It  was  a  two-story  build- 
ing. The  tanning  was  carried  on  in  the  basement  for  some 
time,  when  the  idea  of  manufacturing  shoes  occurred  to 
the  owner.  He  hired  several  workmen  to  make  shoes 
from  the  leather  which  he  was  unable  to  dispose  of  in 


90  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

his  currying  business.  This,  it  is  claimed,  was  the  first 
factory  in  the  United  States  in  which  the  owner  em- 
ployed a  number  of  paid  workmen  in  the  manufacture 
of  shoes  for  outside  trade  over  and  above  the  demands 
of  people  in  the  immediate  locality.  Porter  was  a  man 
of  more  than  ordinary  ability,  intelligent,  shrewd  and 
enterprising.  He  was  born  Sept.  6,  1759,  and  died 
Nov.  11,  1845.  He  rapidly  extended  his  business,  even 
to  Southern  ports,  shipping  the  shoes,  packed  in  barrels, 
on  board  of  coasters  out  of  Salem.  These  shoes  were 
thick  brogans,  designed  for  the  Southern  slaves. 

Soon  another  pioneer  in  the  business,  having  served 
a  year's  apprenticeship,  one  day  in  1789  bought  a  side 
of  leather,  and  "set  up  for  himself."  This  was  Moses 
Putnam.  The  shoes  that  he  made  from  the  side  of 
leather,  he  took  in  a  saddle-bag  to  Boston,  having  hired 
his  father's  horse,  and  sold  them  to  good  advantage. 
With  patient  industry  and  well  merited  success  Moses 
Putnam  continued  fifty-seven  years  in  the  business,  until 
he  became  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  the  county. 

From  this  small  beginning  has  grown  the  giant  in- 
dustry, which  has  been  a  benefit,  not  only  to  Danvers, 
but  to  the  country  at  large. 

Inoculation;  How  Received. — For  many  gener- 
ations the  scourge  of  this  country  was  the  smallpox. 
Hardly  a  family  escaped,  and  in  the  earliest  days  whole 
families  were  carried  off  by  this  terrible  disease.  In 
England  a  remedy  had  been  found  that  would  prevent 
the  spread  of  the  malady.  It  was  called  the  process  of 
inoculation.  In  1778,  an  attempt  was  made  to  intro- 
duce it  into  Danvers,  and  a  certain  house  was  set  apart 
for  the  purpose  of  inoculating  those  who  so  desired,  but 
as  in  all  great  movements,  there  were  those  in  Danvers 
who  were  skeptical  and  treated  the  matter  as  absurd. 


VIEW  OF  CRANE  RIVER  AND  WATER  STREET,  DANVERSPORT 

Left  to  Right  :  Wool  Store  of  Moses  Black,  Jr.  ;  Coal  and  Wood  Shed  ;  Brick  House,  built  by  Nathaniel 
Putnam,  in  1805;  Houses  of  Major  Moses  Black;  Black's  Morocco  Shop 

From  a  lithograph  made  in  1S52 


BAPTIST  CHURCH 


RESIDENCE  OF  THE  REV    BENJAMIN  WADSWORTH,  D.  D. 
Centre  Street.    Built  in  1785. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  91 

Feeling  on  the  subject  ran  high.  So  great  was  the 
opposition  that  in  the  following  month  a  special  town 
meeting  was  held,  which  quite  effectually  and  in  no 
uncertain  tones  stopped  the  practice  immediately.  After 
a  dozen  years,  the  people  evidently  had  their  eyes  opened 
to  the  beneficial  results  obtained  by  the  treatment,  for 
from  that  time  there  was  no  further  attempt  to  prevent 
its  use,  and,  indeed,  twenty  years  later  the  town  enter- 
tained such  a  high  opinion  of  vaccination  that  a  specialist 
was  paid  to  vaccinate  the  children  of  Danvers. 

The  Commonwealth. — Massachusetts  became,  by 
the  Articles  of  Confederation  in  1781,  one  of  the  states 
which  formed  the  United  States  of  America.  The 
States  threw  off  the  yoke  of  Great  Britain  with  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  July  4,  1776.  Until  the 
Constitution  was  adopted  in  1789,  thej^  were  governed 
by  Congress.  From  this  period  the  Town  of  Danvers 
is  to  be  considered  a  part  of  the  Commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts. 

Baptist  Society  Foemed. — The  population  at  New 
Mills  increased  to  such  proportions  that  a  church  was 
desired  in  the  neighborhood.  The  Baptist  society  was 
accordingly  formed  in  1781.  A  large  number  of  Bev- 
erly people  attended  the  services.  Two  years  later  a 
meeting  house  was  erected,  the  timber  for  which  was 
cut  on  Lindall  Hill,  hewn  by  hand,  and  hauled  to  the 
site  of  the  new  church.  This  building  was  sold  in  1828, 
when  a  new  church  was  erected,  to  John  A.  Learoyd, 
who  moved  it  to  the  Plains  and  used  it  for  j^^ears  as  a 
currier's  shop  in  the  rear  of  his  house  on  Maple  street. 
The  ministers  of  the  Church  have  been:  Rev.  Benjamin 
Foster,  1781-1784;  Rev.  Thomas  Green,  1793-1796; 
Rev.  Jeremiah  Chaplin,  1802-1818;  Rev.  James  A.  Bos- 
well  (ordained  1819),  1818-1820;  Rev.  Arthur  Drink- 
water,  1821-1829;  Rev.  James  Barnaby,  1830-1832; 
Rev.  John  Holroyd,  1832-1837;  Rev.  E.  W.  Dickinson, 


92  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

1838-1839;  Rev.  J.  Humphrey  Avery,  1841-1842;  Rev. 
Joseph  W.  Eaton,  1843-1849,  Rev.  A.  W.  Chaffin, 
1850-1862;  Rev.  Foster  Henry,  1862-1865;  Charles 
F.  Holbrook,  1865-1870;  Rev.  J.  A.  Goodhue,  1870- 
1872;  Rev.  G.  W.  McCuUough,  1873-1876;  Rev.  Lucien 
Drury,  1877-1883;  Rev.  Gideon  Cole,  1884-1888;  Rev. 
C.  F.  Holbrook,  1889-1898;  Rev.  C.  S.  Nightingale, 
1898-1903;  Rev.  C.  H.  Wheeler,  1903-1907;  Rev.  E.  A. 
Herring,  1907-1911;  Rev.  F.  J.  Ward,  1913-1917;  Rev. 
Walter  G.  Thomas,  1917. 

Early  Schooling  at  New  Mills. — In  all  proba- 
bility New  Mills  was  one  of  the  districts  in  which  in 
1777,  it  was  voted  to  "set  up  a  school  for  three  months." 
At  all  events  there  was  a  schoolhouse  there  as  early  as 
1785,  which  stood,  it  is  thought,  near  the  Baptist  church. 
Of  one  of  the  early  schoolmasters,  Caleb  Clark,  the 
following  has  been  written:  "He  was  in  the  habit  of 
whittling  a  shingle  in  school  and  for  small  offences 
compelling  the  disobedient  to  pile  the  whittlings  in  the 
middle  of  the  room;  when  this  was  accomplished  he 
would  kick  them  over,  to  be  picked  up  again.  He  would 
sometimes  require  them  to  watch  a  wire  suspended  in 
the  room,  and  inform  him  when  a  fly  lighted  on  it. 
For  greater  offences  he  would  sometimes  attempt  to 
frighten  them  into  obedience  by  putting  his  shoulder 
under  the  mantel-piece  and  threatening  to  throw  the 
house  down  upon  them.  It  is  said  of  the  worthy  peda- 
gogue that  when  deeply  engaged  in  a  mathematical 
problem  he  became  so  absorbed  in  the  work  as  to  be 
wholly  unconscious  of  anything  transpiring  around  him, 
and  the  boys,  taking  advantage  of  this  habit,  would 
creep  out  of  school  and  skate  and  slide  by  the  hour 
together." 

Danvers  Men  in  Shays'  Rebellion. — After  the 
Revolution,  Massachusetts,  as  well  as  the  other  original 


o'^:''>i 


•  ->..V.'- 1 


BROADSIDE,  GIVING  AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE 

BATTLE  OF  STILLWATER 

Printed  and  sold  by  Ezekiel  Russell  at  his  printing  office 

in  Danvers 

From  the  original  in  possession  of  the  Peabody 

Historical  Society 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  93 

states,  was  very  heavily  in  debt.  The  people  were  im- 
poverished by  the  long  war  and  had  no  money  to  pay 
their  bills.  The  jails  were  full  of  poor  debtors,  the  law 
which  permitted  arrest  for  debt  then  being  in  effect. 
There  was  an  uprising  in  the  western  part  of  the  State 
(1786)  known  as  Shays'  Rebellion,  in  which  Daniel 
Shays  enlisted  two  thousand  farmers  and  others  to  put 
a  stop  to  further  lawsuits  for  debt.  They  attempted  to 
attack  Worcester  county  court  house  and  jail,  but  the 
"rebellion"  was  quelled  by  the  militia,  and  Shays  fled 
to  New  Hampshire.  Danvers  sent  fourteen  men  with 
the  Essex  Regiment,  to  help  put  down  the  insurrection. 

THE  GREAT  NORTHWEST;  HON.  NATHAN 
READ'S  EXPERIMENTS;  WAR  OF  1812. 

The  Great  Northwest;  Emigrants  from  Dan- 
vers; The  Ohio  Company;  Marietta  Settled. — 
The  town  of  Danvers  took  an  important  part  in  the 
settlement  of  the  Northwest  Territory.  Previous  to 
1787,  only  a  few  traders  and  missionaries  had  penetrated 
into  the  wilds  of  the  west  as  far  as  Ohio.  The  govern- 
ment had  sent  a  man  to  survey  the  lands,  who,  upon 
returning,  gave  such  glowing  accounts  of  the  country 
that  Gen.  Rufus  Putnam  of  Rutland,  a  grandson  of 
Danvers,  commenced  to  form  a  corporation  for  the  colo- 
nization of  that  region.  Thus,  what  was  called  "The 
Ohio  Company"  came  into  existence,  to  which  the  gov- 
ernment granted  five  million  acres  of  land. 

The  first  party  of  emigrants  to  the  new  country  set 
out  from  Danvers,  Dec.  1,  1787.  This  division  was  led 
by  Major  Hafiield  White  of  this  town,  in  which  there 
were  at  least  thirteen  Danvers  men,  with  several  from 
Hamilton  and  Essex.  They  travelled  overland  in  a 
long,  ark-like  looking  wagon,  covered  with  canvas  and 


94  CHRONICLES  OF  nANVERS 

bearing  the  inscription  on  the  outside  in  large  letters: 
"To  Marietta  on  the  Ohio."  They  were  a  vigorous  set 
of  men,  and  their  energy,  determination  and  power  of 
endurance  were  well  tested  as  they  urged  their  way  to 
the  great  wilderness  of  the  west  in  the  dead  of  winter, 
through  deep  snows,  across  ice-bound  streams  and  over 
almost  impassable  mountains. 

Major  White's  division  arrived  at  the  Yohoigany 
river  on  January  23,  1788,  where,  on  February  14,  they 
were  joined  by  General  Putnam's  company.  Both  par- 
ties then  engaged  in  making  boats  and  laying  in  stores. 
On  the  first  of  April,  the  whole  company  sailed  up  the 
river  to  the  confluence  of  the  Muskingam  and  Ohio 
rivers.  Here  on  the  7th  of  the  same  month  they  landed 
and  began  the  settlement  of  Marietta,  Ohio.^  Consid- 
ering that  General  Putnam,  the  chief  superintendent  of 
the  Ohio  company  sprang  from  a  Danvers  family,  that 
it  was  from  this  town  that  the  first  division  of  the  ear- 
liest settlers  of  that  great  state  took  their  departure,  and 
that  Danvers  furnished  more  men  for  the  company  than 
any  othpr  town,  it  is  not  claiming  too  much  to  say  that 
not  only  the  State  of  Ohio,  but  the  Great  Northwest  is, 
in  a  certain  sense,  the  offspring  of  Danvers.  In  the 
years  which  immediately  followed,  other  small  bands  of 
pioneers  were  organized  in  Danvers  and  vicinity  for  the 
western  settlement.  Their  life  in  a  new  home,  so  far 
from  friends  and  native  haunts,  was  on  the  whole  a  hard 
one,  yet  the  wide  prospects  for  business,  the  rich  soil  and 
the  congenial  climate  appealed  to  them.  The  Indians 
for  the  most  part  gave  them  a  wide  berth  at  the  outset, 
but  as  the  settlement  grew  the  colonists  were  obliged 
to  live  in  the  fort,  and  a  strict  watch  was  maintained 
against  Indian  attacks.  The  story  of  their  subsequent 
life  is  the  story  of  the  hardship  and  privations  of  every 

J  Named  in  honor  of  Marie  Antoinette  of  France,  who  had  shown  so 
much  friendship  for  our  country. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  95 

pioneer  of  the  great  west.  There  are  many  interesting 
and  vakiable  letters^  still  in  existence,  written  from  the 
new  settlement  to  friends  and  relatives  in  Danvers,  in 
which  they  related  their  adventures  and  also  urged  their 
friends  and  families  to  follow  them. 

HafReld  White  did  valiant  service  in  the  French  and 
Indian  war  and  the  Revolution.  At  Marietta  he  en- 
gaged in  the  milling  business,  erected  mills  and  became 
a  leading  citizen.  In  person  he  is  described  as  below 
medium  size,  robust  and  thickset,  very  active  and  brisk 
in  his  motions,  prompt  to  execute  any  business  on  hand 
in  the  most  expeditious  manner.  His  home  was  in  the 
southern  part  of  old  Danvers. 

Danvers  vs.  Essex  Bridge;  A  Sharp  Conflict. — 
In  175:8  it  was  proposed  to  build  a  bridge  from  Beverly 
to  Salem,  to  take  the  place  of  the  ferry.  This  was  con- 
sidered a  most  wonderful  undertaking.  For  many  years 
Danvers  had  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  travel  from  the 
towns  beyond  Beverly  to  Boston,  over  the  old  Ipswich 
Way  and  the  Boston  Road.  The  new  bridge  meant 
that  all  this  travel  would  now  be  turned  to  the  more 
convenient  route  through  Beverly  and  Salem.  The 
same  spirit  which  opposed  so  vigorously  the  road  through 
New  Mills  a  quarter  of  a  century  before,  arose  in  its 
might  and  fought  just  as  desperately  to  prevent  the 
erection  of  the  Essex  Bridge,  commonly  known  as 
Beverly  Bridge.  Danvers  stood  like  a  rock  against  the 
overwhelming  current.  All  the  other  towns  in  the 
county  directly  concerned  were  as  a  unit  in  favor  of 
the  bridge.  They  complained  that  the  old  road  was 
uneven  and  bad,  that  the  snow  through  Danvers  delayed 
the  mails,  and  that  the  distance  to  Boston  was  greater. 
Single-handed,  if  need  be,  Danvers  proposed  to  fight  to 

1  See  extracts  from  their  letters  in  Danvers  Mirror  of  Nov.  10,  1877. 


96  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

the  bitter  end  for  the  preservation  of  her  ancient  pres- 
tige, 

"For  if  they  once  may  win  the  bridge, 
What  hope  to  save  the  town." 

Town  meetings  were  held  in  which  the  citizens  declared 
that  by  building  the  bridge,  their  only  channel  to  the 
sea  would  be  cut  off  and  their  shipping  industry  would 
be  ruined.  A  stormy  time  ensued,  in  which  petitions 
and  remonstrances  came  thick  and  fast  from  the  sturdy 
sons  of  Danvers.  At  one  time  it  looked  as  if  they  would 
have  a  strong  ally  in  the  fishermen  of  North  Salem, 
whose  fears  were  aroused  and  sympathies  doubtless  en- 
listed by  their  Danvers  neighbors.  They,  too,  felt  quite 
sure  that  the  days  of  their  fisheries  would  soon  be  ended. 
For  months  the  war  was  waged.  On  one  side,  the  whole 
eastern  part  of  the  county  clamoring  louder  and  louder 
for  a  bridge;  on  the  other,  Danvers  and  the  North 
Salem  fishermen  as  solid  as  a  rock  against  it.  As  a  last 
resort  the  opposition  presented  a  most  pleading  peti- 
tion. They  quoted  scripture.  They  rose  to  eloquence 
and  pathos.  They  summoned  law  and  history  to  their 
relief,  and  prostrated  themselves  with  all  humility  at 
the  feet  of  the  authorities  to  prevent  such  a  dire  calamity 
as  the  building  of  Essex  bridge.  Col.  Israel  Hutchin- 
son testified  to  the  shorter  route  through  Danvers.  An- 
other Danvers  man  called  attention  to  the  large  ship- 
ping interests  of  that  season.  They  then  had  a  fleet  of 
vessels  at  the  Grand  Banks  and  many  in  the  coasting 
trade.  They  sneered  at  Ipswich's  clam-bait,  ridiculed 
Newburyport's  ship-building,  declared  that  an  inch  of 
Beverly  harbor  was  worth  a  fathom  of  Marblehead,  and 
posed  as  champions  of  the  preservation  of  Beverly 
harbor.  All  to  no  avail.  Their  selfish  interests  were 
not  gratified,  and  on  November  17th,  the  General  Court 


L 


VIEW  OF  THE  READ-CROWNINSHIELD-PORTER  HOUSE 
ACROSS  WATERS  RIVER 


HON.  NATHAN  READ 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  97 

passed  the  bridge  bill,  which  was  certified  by  Samuel 
Adams  and  approved  by  Gov.  John  Hancock,  marking 
one  more  step  in  the  march  of  progress  of  Essex  county. 

To  compensate  for  the  alleged  injury  to  shipping  at 
New  Mills,  the  proprietors  of  the  bridge  agreed  to  pay 
annually  to  the  town  of  Danvers  for  fifty  years  the  sum 
of  ten  pounds,  which  was  allowed  (1789)  the  Neck  of 
Land  people  for  the  repair  of  the  highways. 

"Spite"  or  Liberty  Bridge. — The  same  year  (1788) 
a  wooden  bridge  was  built  over  Porter's  river  by  the 
New  Mills  people,  evidently  with  the  intention  of  draw- 
ing travel  from  Beverly  in  this  direction.  The  bridge 
was  called  "Spite"  bridge  by  the  witnesses  of  the  recent 
Essex  bridge  controversy,  a  name  which  clung  to  it  for 
years.    It  was  later  (1805)  named  Liberty  Bridge. 

Nathan  Read  ;  His  Experiments  ;  Other  Inven- 
tions.— In  the  summer  of  1789,  a  man  about  thirty 
years  of  age  might  have  been  seen  in  a  small,  lightly 
built  boat,  moving  up  and  down  Waters  river.  The 
man  was  Nathan  Read,  and  the  boat  was  propelled  by 
means  of  paddle-wheels  operated  by  hand,  an  idea  which 
was  later  developed  by  Fulton  with  steam  as  the  motive 
power.  Read  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard,  where  he 
had  been  tutor  of  Harrison  Gray  Otis  and  John  Quincy 
Adams,  and  at  this  time  was  an  apothecary  in  Salem. 
He  was  a  thorough  student,  especially  of  scientific 
branches.  For  some  time  he  had  been  experimenting 
in  the  hope  of  inventing  a  new  motive  power  for  the 
propulsion  of  boats.  With  two  paddle-wheels  he  made 
successful  trips  across  the  river.  Many  distinguished 
people  were  witnesses  of  the  experiment,  including  Gov. 
John  Hancock.  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  this  was 
eighteen  years  before  Robert  Fulton  successfully  ex- 
perimented with  steam  on  the  Hudson. 


98  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

Ten  years  later  (1799)  he  invented  the  first  machine 
for  cutting  nails,  and  forming  a  stock  company,  the 
"Salem  Iron  Factory  Company,"  bought  the  right  to 
establish  iron  works  at  Waters  river,  as  the  tide  power 
there  had  never  been  utilized/  Nathan  Read  moved 
to  Danvers,  built  the  fine  residence,  now  the  Benjamin 
Porter  estate,  where  he  lived  until  1807,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Belfast,  Maine,  dying  there  in  1849.  He  rep- 
resented Danvers  in  the  Legislature  during  his  residence 
here.  Read  was  the  first  man  in  the  United  States  to 
receive  a  patent.  The  foundry  business  brought  many 
iron-workers  into  the  town  with  their  families.  A  nail 
shop  and  an  anchor  factory  were  also  established  there, 
but  both  were  removed  years  ago;  one  occupied  a  place 
in  Calvin  Putnam's  lumber  yard;  the  other  was  con- 
verted into  a  barn  near  by.  The  anchors  manufactured 
were  mostly  of  a  size  suitable  for  coasting  and  fishing 
vessels.  One  important  piece  of  work  turned  out  there, 
which  will  go  down  in  history,  was  the  forging  of  the 
anchor  for  the  United  States  frigate  "Essex,"  built  in 
1799  by  the  people  of  Salem,  and  presented  to  the  gov- 
ernment. 

The  Iron  Factory  gradually  gave  up  the  manufac- 
ture of  anchors  and  nails,  and  iron  rods  and  sheet  iron 
became  the  product.  After  1807  it  was  under  the  man- 
agement of  Capt.  Benjamin  Crowninshield  of  Salem, 
who  purchased  the  Read  house,  continuing  to  own  it 
until  his  death  in  1837,  when  it  came  into  possession 
of  the  Porter  family.  The  "Danvers  Iron  Works"  has 
been  owned  since  1843  by  Matthew  Hooper,  three  gen- 
erations of  Sylvesters,  John,  Benjamin  F.,  and  Her- 
bert W.,  and  is  now  (1923)  the  property  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Iron  and  Steel  Company. 

1  See  "The  Salem  Iron  Factory,"  by  Francis  B.  C.  Bradlee,  in  Dan- 
vers  Historical   Collections,  Vol.   6. 


THE  OLD  TOAVN  OF  DANVERS  99 

Amos  Pope  and  His  Almanacs. — In  the  latter  part 
of  the  18th  century,  Amos  Pope  of  Dan  vers,  a  descend- 
ant of  Joseph  Pope,  one  of  the  earhest  settlers,  at  the 
age  of  about  nineteen,  computed  and  published  a  series 
of  almanacs.  He  was  the  son  of  a  farmer,  educated 
himself  with  books — many  of  which  were  imported  from 
England — sufficiently  to  become  a  schoolmaster.  He 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  mathematics,  calculated  eclipses 
and  also  imbibed  enough  Latin  to  use  it  on  occasion. 
The  first  printed  copy  was  brought  out  in  1792,  and  it 
continued  each  year,  with  the  exception  of  1796,  until 
1798,  being  issued  from  the  office  of  a  Boston  printer. 
The  first  was  entitled  "An  Astronomical  Diary  or 
Almanack  for  the  Year  of  our  Lord  1792.  By  Amos 
Pope,  Philom,"  the  last  word  probably  an  abbreviation 
for  Philemon — "a  lover  of  learning."  A  suggestion  of 
inheritance  as  a  reason  for  this  young  mathematician's 
interest  in  science  is  given  by  a  great-grandson.  He 
writes : 

"Peter  Folger,  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  Nan- 
tucket, and  one  whose  biography  shows  him  to  have  been 
a  scholar  with  a  mind  of  unusual  breadth  and  depth, 
had  among  other  children,  two  daughters.  One,  Abiah, 
married  Joseph  Franklin  and  became  the  mother  of  the 
great  Benjamin.  Another,  Bethseda,  married  Joseph 
Pope,  and  became  the  great-grandmother  of  Amos 
Pope,  making  the  great  Benjamin  own  cousin  to  Amos 
Pope's  grandfather.  He  doubtless  heard  a  great  deal 
about  Benjamin  Franklin,  who  died  just  at  the  time 
young  Amos  was  getting  data  for  his  first  almanac,  and 
this  young  man  may  have  copied  somewhat  in  his  aims 
and  aspirations  from  his  worthy  relative,  the  author  of 
the  'Poor  Richard'  almanacs.  Both  undoubtedly  are 
indebted  to  the  Folger  strain  for  their  intellectual  ca- 
pacit\\     Many  other  Folger  descendants  had  this  stu- 


100  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

dious  characteristic,  among  them  being  William  Oakes, 
the  famous  botanist,  own  cousin  to  Amos,  and  that  other 
student,  Maria  Mitchell,  well  known  for  her  astronom- 
ical attainments." 

It  is  said  that  his  father  was  opposed  to  Amos'  spend- 
ing his  time  in  studies  and  that  he  had  sat  many  a  night 
without  fire  in  his  room,  when  the  ink  would  freeze  in 
the  stand.  According  to  a  note  made  by  the  almanac 
maker  himself,  his  royalty  was  about  $10  per  year,  and 
as  the  printer  defrauded  him  out  of  the  last  three  years 
of  even  that  small  pittance,  he  gave  up  the  work. 

The  1793  edition  contains  the  following  modest 
address : 

"Kind  Reader. — The  favorable  acceptance  of  my 
former  Calculations  hath  encouraged  me  to  make  my 
appearance  before  a  generous  Publick  another  year. 
I  have  added  (more  than  is  usual  in  works  of  this  kind) 
a  Table  of  the  Sun's  Declination,  with  a  Table  to  cor- 
rect it  for  any  degree  of  longitude,  and  do  judge  it  will 
be  of  service  to  the  reader.  I  have  aimed  to  render  this 
work  both  entertaining  and  useful.  The  Calculations 
are  made  (with  considerable  labor  and  patience)  from 
the  Tables  published  by  the  best  Astronomers  in  Eu- 
rope, and  which  I  have  always  found  to  agree  very 
nearly  with  the  truth.  I  have  been  very  particular  in 
the  Calculations  of  the  Eclipses  of  the  Sun  and  Moon; 
and  to  satisfy  the  curiosity  of  some  particular  friends, 
I  have  inserted  a  few  Eclipses  of  Jupiter's  first  Satel- 
lite; and  only  a  few,  because  the  calculation  of  a  con- 
siderable number  would  cost  time  and  labor,  to  little  or 
no  service  to  the  reader;  for  those  that  are  not  favored 
with  Telescopes  cannot  observe  them,  and  those  that 
are  favored  with  Telescopes,  I  trust,  can  calculate 
eclipses  for  themselves,  therefore,  I  have  inserted  that 
which  appeared  to  be  more  beneficial  to  the  Publick. 


4^^         ASTRONOMICAL   DlARYj         ^\ 

|almanack,I 

«^)         For  the  Year  of  our  Lord         (k 


792: 


T--^       Being  BISSEXTILE  u><    LE  \P-VEAR, 

j'  '  A  N  O      T  ilE     al  \  1   I   ,    >,    1    -1      o  r 

AMERICVN    INDEPENDENCE. 


TYPE  s/uaEclip!e  a/. •'i.v  SUN,  March  2i,  I'yi.        •^^ 


.  ■:  lor  die  McnJiaii  ot  Cj^ion.  ! 
....■;..,  ;Lac.  42  i^cg.  2j-  miii.  North)  b- 
tor  the  aJjicfnt  States. 


A   M   OS      P  O  P  E,    F;w  nA 

/}     O     6'     r     O     A   .  c> 

'dhv  !oi,:,  \V.  Kol.^uM,  No.  30,i/'-;j'<-  5^^ 

.1   .ih'j  by  the  BooKsuLLEiLj  in  Town  /^ 


i4'''^i^^'^<^- :^^vr-l-.j5"^-''^^'t^«ei-  r^I*'^ 


(H 

\^r^'.-^  zv.A  '\ 

'■J 

ind     Comil 

TITLE  PAGE  OF  THE  AMOS  POPE  ALMANAC 
From  the  original  in  possession  of  Jasper  Marsh 


BIRTHPLACE  OF  AMOS  POPE 
Built  before  1700. 


SHOE  FACTORY  AND  CURRYING  SHOP  OF  ZERUBBABEL  PORTER 
AND  BIRTHPLACE  OF  GENERAL  MOSES  PORTER 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  101 

That  this  work  may  prove  useful,  is  the  sincere  wish 
of  the  Pubhsher's  most  humble,  and  most  obedient 
servant,  Amos  Pope." 

"Danvers,  May  24th,  1792." 

Mr.  Pope  died  January  26,  1837,  at  the  home  of  his 
son,  Zephaniah  Pope,  on  Pope's  Lane. 

Some  Old  Taverns. — From  the  earliest  settlement 
Danvers  has  been  well  provided  with  taverns,  Nathaniel 
Ingersoll  being  the  first  licensed  innholder,  in  1677. 
He  was  the  leading  man  in  the  Village,  a  large  land- 
owner, deacon  of  the  Village  church,  and  captain  of  the 
troop  of  horse,  and  his  house  was  conveniently  located 
near  the  church,  for  in  those  days  the  tavern  and  the 
meeting  house  were  on  very  friendly  terms.  A  portion 
of  his  house  is  supposed  to  have  been  incorporated  in 
the  present  parsonage  of  the  First  Church. 

Walter  Phillips  kept  a  tavern  on  Sylvan  street,  near 
the  Peabody  line,  in  1689,  which  business  was  continued 
by  the  Putnams  until  1753.  Benjamin  Holten  had  an 
ordinary  in  the  Judge  Holten  house  in  1715,  and  it  was 
conducted  by  the  family  until  Judge  Holten's  father 
bought  the  house  in  1752.  The  Upton  tavern  on  Centre 
street  was  built  in  1717  by  Walter  Smith  and  conducted 
by  his  family  until  it  was  sold  to  the  Uptons  in  1791. 
It  was  a  well-known  hostelry;  auctions  were  held  here, 
parish  and  school  meetings  convened  here,  and  school 
was  kept  in  the  hall.  From  the  Uptons  it  descended 
in  the  Hutchinson  family  to  Elijah  Hutchinson,  whose 
daughter  still  owns  it. 

Samuel  Endicott  kept  a  public  house  in  the  old  Dale 
house,  now  standing  on  Sylvan  street,  from  1762  to 
1772,  when  John  Piemont,  an  Italian,  rented  it  and 
conducted  it  during  the  time  when  Gage's  troops  were 
encamped  at  the  Hooper  house.     Here  John  Adams 


102  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

and  John  Quincy  Adams  often  stopped  over  night  on 
their  way  to  Ipswich.  This  tavern  Avas  in  later  years 
known  as  Leech's  tavern,  and  used  as  such  until  about 
1806. 

Deacon  Gideon  Putnam's  famous  old  tavern  occu- 
pied the  site  of  the  Richards  building,  corner  Elm  and 
High  streets.  It  was  built  about  1773  bj^  Dr.  Andrew 
Putnam,  son-in-law  of  Jeremiah  Page,  and  John  Pie- 
mont  kept  a  public-house  here  from  1776  to  1780.  Pie- 
mont  was  the  prime  mover  in  the  institution  of  the 
United  States  Lodge  of  Masons  in  Danvers  in  1778, 
and  was  its  first  master.  Gideon  Putnam,  having  pur- 
chased the  property  in  1777,  succeeded  Piemont  in  the 
tavern  business,  and  from  that  time  until  1805  it  was  a 
famous  place  for  the  entertainment  of  travellers.  Here 
the  Deacon  conducted  a  store  also,  which  for  years  was 
a  busy  place  where  the  farmers  brought  their  produce, 
continued  in  later  years  by  Jonas  Warren,  before  men- 
tioned. Deacon  Gideon  was  a  man  of  high  principles, 
represented  Danvers  in  the  General  Court,  and  gave 
to  the  country  that  most  distinguished  son,  Judge 
Samuel  Putnam.  He  owned  about  two  hundred  acres 
of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mill-pond ;  partly  inherited 
and  partly  acquired.  Putnam's  mill  on  Sylvan  street 
was  owned  by  his  family  from  the  very  earliest  settle- 
ment,— at  first  located  a  little  farther  down  the  stream 
near  Ash  street, — and  in  the  eighteen-sixties  the  mill 
rights  were  purchased  by  another  Putnam  of  another 
line — Otis  F.  Putnam —  so  that  for  about  250  years 
this  mill  business  has  been  conducted  by  men  of  the 
Putnam  name. 

Early  Libraries. — Several  attempts  to  provide 
reading  for  the  people  of  the  town  were  made  early.  In 
1794  was  established  the  "Danvers  Social  Library," 
probably  at  Judge  Holten's,  in  the  Highland  section. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN^^RS  103 

It  was  owned  in  shares  by  different  individuals,  and  the 
books  were  loaned  to  stockholders.  This  institution 
continued  for  about  twent}^  years,  the  books  remaining 
having  found  their  way  into  the  ministerial  library  of 
the  First  Chiu-ch.  Dr.  Rice  says  that  "so  far  as  we 
may  judge  by  these,  the  people  were  not  harmed  by 
light  or  sensational  reading  from  this  library." 

In  1808,  the  New  Mills  Social  Library  was  formed 
at  Danversport,  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Jeremiah  Chaplin 
as  librarian,  in  whose  kitchen  the  books  were  kept,  the 
"library"  being  open  for  the  delivery  of  books  on  Mon- 
day evenings.  The  minister,  who  in  addition  to  his 
duties  at  the  Baptist  Church,  fitted  young  men  for  the 
ministry,  selected  the  books,  which  were  said  to  have 
included  the  best  in  English  literature.  One  of  the  rules 
of  the  library  was  not  to  damage  the  books  when  read- 
ing them  by  the  fireside,  and  also  to  avoid  the  drip  of 
the  candle.  Upon  the  formation  of  the  New  Mills 
Lyceum,  the  library  was  removed  to  the  brick  school- 
house,  and  continued  but  a  few  years. 

Judge  Benajah  Collins. — One  of  the  characters 
of  this  period  was  Judge  Collins,  who  came  to  Danvers 
from  liiverpool,  Nova  Scotia,  in  1797,  and  purchased 
of  the  heirs  of  Robert  Hooper,  the  mansion  on  Sylvan 
street,  which  was  known  during  the  next  half  century 
or  more  as  the  "Collins  house."  His  father  had  removed 
in  17.59  from  Cape  Cod  to  Nova  Scotia,  being  one  of 
the  first  settlers  there.  Judge  Collins  was  connected 
with  the  Eppes  family,  who  sold  their  farm  to  E.  H. 
Derby,  known  now  as  the  Rogers  farm,  so  that  he  was 
more  or  less  familiar  with  the  locality.  He  entertained 
many  of  the  prominent  families  of  Salem  and  vicinity, 
Dr.  Bentley  often  recording  in  his  diary  a  visit  to  the 
mansion  and  with  what  great  hospitality  he  was  re- 
ceived.    The  Judge  had  four  daughters,  of  whom  the 


104  CHRONICLES  OF  DANA^RS 

diarist  writes:  "Deborah  was  attentive,  Triphenia  silent 
but  sprightly,  Hepsibah  sweet,  innocent  and  cheerful, 
Ruth  full  of  spirits,  gaiety  and  fancy." 

Upon  the  arrival  of  such  a  conspicuous  personage  as 
Judge  Collins  in  town,  the  officers  of  the  First  Parish 
Church  had  a  consultation,  and  it  was  decided  to  fit 
up  a  special  pew  for  him  with  cushions,  carpet  and  other 
accessories,  as  befitted  his  station.  He  was  not  averse 
to  making  a  grand  appearance  and  duly  impressed  the 
populace  by  riding  to  meeting  in  a  yellow  coach  drawn 
by  two  black  spirited  horses,  making  the  gravel  fly  as 
they  drove  up  with  a  flourish  to  the  door  of  the  house 
of  worship.  A  coal-black  negro  on  the  box,  with  a 
negro  boy  behind  the  coach,  holding  on  by  the  tassels, 
as  footmen,  added  to  the  sumptuousness  of  the  outfit, 
and  these  servants  never  left  the  coach  while  the  Judge 
was  attending  service.  It  is  said  that  when  either  Judge 
Holten  or  Judge  Collins  took  their  seats,  the  congre- 
gation rose,  and  that  Parson  Wadsworth,  as  he  walked 
up  the  broad  aisle,  was  wont  to  make  a  slight  bow  of 
recognition  to  the  two  magistrates. 

During  the  War  of  1812,  Judge  CoUins  was  supposed 
to  have  been  part  owner  in  a  small  privateer  fitted  out 
at  Liverpool,  which  made  sad  work  in  destroying  coast- 
ers in  New  England,  and  in  consequence  he  became 
obnoxious  to  the  people  of  Danvers.  He  died  in  1820 
at  this  residence,  and  was  laid  out  in  great  state  in 
his  broad  hallway  for  a  month  before  he  was  buried  in 
the  tomb  which  he  had  prepared  near  his  house.  It  was 
said  that  when  he  lay  in  his  coffin,  by  way  of  embalm- 
ing he  was  enclosed  with  a  bag  of  Sumatra  pepper, 
and  when  anyone  came  to  view  the  body  the  pepper 
was  removed  from  the  face  by  the  wing  of  a  goose! 
His  widow  died  in  1827,  soon  after  which  the  family 
removed  from  town.     The  house  had  various  owners 


THE  PUTNAM-PERRV   lluU.SL,  .sLM.Mi.k  .sTRtKT 

Residence  of  the  Hon.  Timothy  Pickering,  1801-1S04 

Birthplace  of  Judg:e  James  Putnam,  the  Loyalist,  whom  Chief  Justice  Parsons  called 

"The  best  lawyer  in  North  America. ' ' 


'/M 


THE  COLLINS  HOUSE 

From  a  wood-cut  in  "Gleason's  Pictorial ' '  about  iS 


'/ 


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»: 


A. 


SIGNATURES  OF  MEMBERS  OF  JORDAN   LODGE,  A.   F.  &  A.  M.,  INSTITUTED  IN  1808 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN  VERS  105 

during  the  next  few  years,  among  them  Nathan  Tapley, 
who  rented  it  to  a  clergyman,  and  where  a  private  school 
was  kept  for  a  short  time.  Finally  the  estate  was  pur- 
chased in  1860  by  Francis  Peabody,  Esq.,  who  made 
extensive  improA^ements  while  restoring  it  to  its  orig- 
inal grandeur  and  beauty. 

District  School  System  Established. — For  many 
years  there  had  been  no  system  of  separate  school  dis- 
tricts, nor  had  there  been  any  established  rules  for  the 
keeping  of  schools.  One  term  they  would  be  held  in 
one  section  of  the  town,  and  the  next  term  in  another. 
Then  again  there  would  be  nine  or  ten  schools  "set  up," 
as  it  was  called,  and  at  one  time  there  was  such  a  lack 
of  proper  instruction  that  the  town  was  reprimanded 
by  the  court  for  such  neglect.  Therefore,  when  in  1794 
the  town  was  divided  into  districts,  quite  as  is  the  case 
today,  it  marked  a  decidedly  new  epoch  in  the  history 
of  the  schools.  System  and  order  are  always  requisite 
for  the  accomplishment  of  good  work,  and  the  "district- 
ing" of  Danvers  proved  no  exception  to  the  rule.  Ten 
years  before  it  was  required  by  law  to  have  a  school 
committee  (1816)  Danvers  commenced  to  choose  one 
annually.  And  twenty-two  years  before  the  State  law 
required  committees  to  make  annual  reports,  Danvers 
compelled  her  committee  to  do  so. 

Fire  Department  First  Organized. — The  old  days 
of  the  Fire  Department  tell  an  interesting  story.  In 
1800  Danvers  purchased  the  first  of  those  old-fashioned 
contrivances — hand-engines.  One  was  kept  in  the  south 
part  of  the  town  and  the  other  at  New  Mills,  until  the 
town  became  rich  enough  to  supply  the  Highlands,  Tap- 
lej^^ille  and  the  Plains.  Engine-men  or  fire- wards  were 
chosen  to  man  the  engines,  all  of  whom  were  required 
to  keep  a  leather  fire-bucket,  a  bed-key  and  a  canvas 
bag  hanging  ready  for  use  in  the  front  entry  of  their 


106  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

houses.  Old-fashioned  "rope"  bedsteads  were  held  to- 
gether by  locking  with  a  key,  consequently  the  fire- 
wards  carried  keys  in  order  to  take  down  the  beds  in 
case  of  fire.  Long,  narrow  houses,  built  at  convenient 
intervals  along  the  roadside,  provided  a  shelter  for  lad- 
ders, while  carriages  for  sail-cloths  and  hose-carriages 
were  later  added  to  the  equipment  of  the  department. 
As  the  engines  were  worked  by  hand  much  rivalry  be- 
tween the  different  companies  was  created,  especially 
with  the  companies  of  neighboring  towns,  each  trying 
to  outdo  the  other  in  the  distance  a  stream  could  be 
thrown.  Musters  were  held,  which  proved  the  great 
events  of  the  year,  the  people  from  far  and  near  turn- 
ing out  to  witness  the  proceedings.  To  be  chosen  a 
member  of  the  Fire  Department  was  the  ambition  of 
almost  every  young  man  in  town,  and  to  be  a  member 
of  the  Fire  Club  was  to  be  in  the  social  "swim"  of  the 
community.  The  Danvers  Fire  Department  was  estab- 
lished by  Act  of  Legislature  in  1830. 

The  first  engine  at  Danversport  was  the  "Niagara," 
a  four-inch  cylinder,  a  small  tub,  with  air  brakes.  The 
meetings  of  the  company  were  held  at  Gould's  tavern, 
the  brick  house,  known  in  later  years  as  the  Lang  estate, 
on  Water  street.  The  records  of  the  company  for  1808- 
1857  have  recently  been  acquired  by  the  Danvers  His- 
torical Society. 

The  first  engine  at  Danvers  Plains  was  what  is  called 
a  Leslie  tub,  a  suction  engine,  with  side  brakes.  After- 
ward the  "General  Putnam"  was  purchased. 

Timothy  Pickering. — Col.  Timothy  Pickering  of 
Salem,  Secretary  of  State  under  Washington,  and  a 
distinguished  Revolutionary  patriot,  resided  in  Danvers 
from  1801  to  1804.  Retiring  from  public  life,  he  com- 
menced at  once  to  gratify  his  aspirations  for  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  a  subject  in  which  he  had  been  interested 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN^T:RS  107 

from  earliest  life,  and  the  man  who  had  been  intimately 
associated  with  some  of  the  greatest  events  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  nation,  began  farming  on  the  Dr.  Archelaus 
Putnam  estate  on  Summer  street,  owned  in  later  years 
by  the  Perry  family.  This  place  was  probably  sug- 
gested to  him  by  Judge  Holten,  to  whom  Colonel  Pick- 
ering had  written  inquiring  for  a  suitable  location,  as 
it  was  in  the  hands  of  Eleazer  Putnam,  Holten's  son- 
in-law,  at  the  time.  Another  reason,  doubtless,  for  se- 
lecting Danvers  for  a  home  was  from  the  fact  of  its 
being  the  summer  residence  of  Judge  Samuel  Putnam, 
whose  wife  was  a  niece  of  Colonel  Pickering.  Here  he 
cultivated  his  acres,  and  possessed  of  an  ample  fortune, 
rendered  the  farm  he  occupied  productive  and  profit- 
able, and  commanded  every  comfort  and  gratification 
for  himself  and  family.  While  living  here,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Chief  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
and  General  Sessions  of  the  Peace  for  Essex  County. 
He  also  engaged  in  a  campaign  for  election  to  the 
United  States  Senate  as  a  Federalist,  and  was  assailed 
in  most  violent  manner  by  his  opponents,  who  sought 
by  every  means,  in  those  days  of  bitter  party  feeling, 
to  circulate  stories  derogatory  to  his  honesty  while  in 
charge  of  public  funds.  His  son  has  written:  "Colonel 
Pickering  remained  quietly  at  his  farm,  taking  no  notice 
of  the  storm  of  slander  against  him  raging  through  the 
district."  A  New  York  newspaper  reported:  "A  south- 
ern gentleman  lately  paid  a  visit  to  Colonel  Pickering 
at  his  farm  in  Essex.  He  found  this  worthy  though 
much  abused  citizen,  not  superintending  a  set  of  ill-fed 
and  worse-clad  slaves;  not  amusing  himself  with  cock- 
fighting,  horse-racing,  or  hunting  for  popularity  at  a 
tavern  or  grog-shop;  but  literally,  like  another  Cincin- 
natus,  guiding  the  plow;  while  two  of  his  sons  were 
assisting  in  his  rural  labors.  Such  is  the  reply  which  this 
celebrated  citizen  issues  to  the  many  slanders  which 


108  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

the  insatiable,  unrelenting  malice  of  political  enemies  is 
ever  uttering  against  him."  He  was  defeated  for  Con- 
gress, but  strangely  enough,  owing  to  the  resignation 
of  the  Senator  whose  term  had  not  expired,  Colonel 
Pickering  was  appointed  by  the  Legislature  to  fill  the 
unexpired  term,  and  both  he  and  his  opponent,  Jacob 
Crowninshield,  took  their  seats. 

A  scene  in  that  session  depicts  most  vividly  the  moral 
courage  of  the  man,  at  a  time  when  the  question  of 
giving  the  franking  privilege  to  Aaron  Burr  was  being 
discussed.^  Burr,  who  had  killed  Hamilton  but  a  few 
months  before,  presiding,  rose  and  said,  "Is  the  Senate 
ready  for  the  question?  Shall  this  bill  be  passed ?"  He 
paused,  looking  around  to  see  if  any  Senator  was  pro- 
posing to  speak.  Colonel  Pickering  rose.  Burr  recog- 
nized him,  "The  Senator  from  Massachusetts,"  and  sank 
back  into  his  seat.  Their  eyes  met;  neither  quailed. 
The  Senate  was  awed  into  breathless  silence.  Colonel 
Pickering  spoke  as  follows: 

"Mr.  President:  Who,  sir,  are  dangerous  men  in  this 
republic?  Not  those  who  have  reached  the  summit  of 
place  and  power,  for  their  ambition  is  satisfied.  I  tell 
you,  sir,  who  are  dangerous  men.  Those  who  have 
ascended  to  the  last  round  but  one  on  the  political  lad- 
der, and  whose  vaulting  ambition  will  never  be  satis- 
fied until  they  have  stood  upon  the  topmost  round. 
Sir,  I  vote  against  this  bill." 

It  sent  a  thrill  through  the  Senate.  Not  another 
word  was  uttered.  The  vote  was  taken  and  the  bill 
defeated. 

Colonel  Pickering  occupied  this  farm  until  the  sum- 
mer of  1804,  when  he  removed  to  upper  Beverly. 

1  Related  by  his  son,  Octavius  Pickering,  in  his  "Memoirs."  Colonel 
Pickering  was  the  first  President  of  the  Essex  Agricultural  Society. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN  VERS  109 

War  of  1812;  Why  Danvers  Opposed  It. — The 
town,  almost  to  a  man,  was  decidedly  opposed  to  another 
war  with  England,  and  they  took  pains  to  say  so  in  a 
set  of  resolutions  in  town  meeting.  They  had  just  re- 
covered from  the  terrible  struggle  of  the  Revolution, 
and  now  to  be  forced  into  war  again  with  Great  Britain 
seemed  to  them  the  height  of  folly,  ruinous  to  prosperity 
and  dangerous  to  the  union,  liberty  and  independence 
of  the  United  States.  They  had  very  sensible  views  on 
the  subject.  They  declared  that  war  meant  heavy  taxes, 
and  a  naval  war,  as  this  must  needs  be,  would  interfere 
with  all  the  country's  commerce;  that  the  burden  of 
heavy  taxation  to  carrj^  on  the  war  would  have  a  ten- 
dency to  make  the  states  dissatisfied  and  disrupt  the  new 
Union.  But,  unfortunately,  the  opinion  of  the  citizens 
of  Danvers,  did  not  prove  to  be  the  sentiment  of  the 
country  at  large,  and  war  was  soon  declared  to  protect 
the  rights  of  American  seamen. 

Alarms  ;  How  Danvers  was  Protected. — The  war 
once  on,  Danvers,  in  1812  as  in  1775,  was  ready  with 
men  to  defend  the  country.  The  people  dreaded  another 
struggle  with  England,  and  especially  those  who  lived 
along  the  coast  were  in  constant  fear  of  attack  from  an 
English  man-of-war.  Several  from  Danvers  enlisted 
in  the  navy,  and  an  artillery  company  from  this  town, 
under  command  of  Capt.  Jesse  Putnam,  was  stationed 
at  Salem  for  some  time.^  The  uniform  of  the  company 
was  a  chapeau  brass  with  long  white  plume  tipped  with 
red,  a  long-skirted  red  coat  with  white  trimmings,  white 
waistcoat,  buff  breeches  with  buckles  at  knee  and  long 
boots,  a  sword  worn  in  the  belt  over  the  shoulder,  and 
the  hair  was  powdered  and  made  up  in  a  queue,  which 
hung  over  the  coat  collar. 

1  See  "Military  and  Naval  Annals  of  Danvers"  for  names. 


110  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN\T<:RS 

At  New  Mills  an  "alarm  company"  of  exempts  was 
formed,  that  is,  men  who  were  too  old  to  enlist  in  the 
war.  It  was  a  notable  company,  many  of  its  members 
having  seen  service  in  previous  wars,  including  old  sea 
captains,  shoe  manufacturers,  and,  in  fact,  all  the  sub- 
stantial men  of  the  place.  Their  motto  was  "Always 
Readj^,"  and  the  front  yard  of  Capt.  Samuel  Page's 
house  was  designated  as  the  place  of  assembling.  Other 
companies  were  also  formed  in  the  southern  and  western 
parts  of  the  town.  Twice  during  the  war  these  com- 
panies were  called  out  on  "false  alarms."  The  first  time 
the  artillery  on  the  Beverly  shore  saw  what  they  sup- 
posed was  a  British  barge  headed  toward  Salem.  They 
aroused  the  neighborhood,  and  great  consternation  pre- 
vailed until  it  was  discovered  that  the  much  feared  barge 
was  only  a  boat  loaded  with  seaweed.  On  another  occa- 
sion, the  artillery  was  alarmed  at  the  sight  of  some  fish- 
ermen, and  firing  upon  them  the  country  was  thrown 
into  commotion  as  far  as  the  extreme  limits  of  New 
Hampshire.  Earthworks,  mounting  two  iron  four- 
pounders,  were  thrown  up  at  Waters  river,  during  the 
war.  The  fears  of  the  people  were  never  realized,  for  the 
conflicts  between  the  English  and  Americans  took  place 
many  miles  from  Salem. 

Freemasonry. — The  first  meetings,  that  later  re- 
sulted in  the  formation  of  Jordan  Lodge,  A.  F.  and 
A.  M.,  were  held  in  the  hall  of  the  old  Berry  Tavern 
in  1808.  There  had  been  no  IVIasonic  meetings  in  Dan- 
vers  for  many  j^ears,  or  since  the  old  United  States 
Lodge,  which  was  formed  in  1778,  disbanded.  This 
older  lodge  continued  its  meetings  for  four  or  five  years. 
Its  membership  was  always  small,  about  fifty,  but  they 
were  patriotic  and  influential  men,  among  the  first  citi- 
zens of  the  town.  They  included  John  Piemont,  John 
Stacev,  Dr.  Amos  Putnam,  Dr.  Andrew  Putnam,  Col. 


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SIGNATURES  OF  MEMBERS  OF  JORDAN  LODGE,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,   INSTITUTED  IN  i8o8 


INTERIOR  VIEW  OF  CAPT.  SAMUEL  PAGE'S  PUNCH   HOWI, 
SHOWING  MASONIC  EMBLEMS 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN\T:RS  111 

Enoch  Putnam,  Col.  Jethro  Putnam,  Capt.  Samuel 
Page,  Rev.  Benjamin  Balch,  Capt.  Jeremiah  Putnam, 
Sergt.  Richard  Skidmore,  Lt.  John  Kettelle,  Lt.  Sam- 
uel Fairfield,  and  many  from  Beverly  and  Salem.  When 
the  adjoining  towns  instituted  lodges  of  their  own,  the 
meetings  of  this  lodge  ceased.  In  1805,  the  charter, 
furniture,  and  other  property  of  the  old  lodge,  wliich 
had  been  preserved  by  Richard  Skidmore,  tyler,  was 
burned  in  the  fire  which  destroyed  his  house.  Meetings 
were  held  in  Berry  Tavern  until  1810,  when  quarters 
were  secured  in  the  south  part  of  the  town,  there  being 
a  larger  membership  there.  In  1863,  however.  Amity 
Lodge  was  instituted  in  this  town,  and  in  1870  Mosaic 
Lodge  was  formed,  both  of  which  have  flourished,  to- 
gether with  Holten  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  which  was 
constituted  in  1872. 

Temperance. — The  use  of  liquor  in  the  early  days 
was  not  confined  to  any  class  or  condition.  Everybody 
used  it  to  some  extent.  New  England  rum  was  always 
present  at  house-raisings,  and  at  the  celebration  of  any 
event,  civil  or  religious.  No  ordination  of  a  minister 
was  complete  without  a  generous  supply.  The  town 
fathers  could  transact  no  business  unless  the  town  pro- 
vided the  "grog."  At  first  the  moderate  use  of  such 
stimulants  did  not  prove  an  evil,  but  after  the  Revolu- 
tion distilleries  began  to  spring  up  in  this  country,  flood- 
ing it  with  liquors  of  all  sorts  and  of  doubtful  quality. 
Drunkenness  began  to  be  common,  and  during  the  first 
quarter  of  the  19th  century  the  evil  was  widespread. 
The  first  temperance  society  in  this  country  was  forme4 
in  Massachusetts  (1812).  Three  Danvers  men  joined 
it,  Rev.  Benjamin  Wadsworth,  Judge  Samuel  Holten 
and  Joseph  Torrey,  and  the  next  year  these  men  formed 
the  first  temperance  society  in  Danvers  and  named  it 
"The  Danvers  Moral  Society."     At  first  its  members 


112  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

were  not  required  to  pledge  themselves  to  total  absti- 
nence. This  would  have  been  too  strict  a  rule  to  enforce 
at  that  time,  but  they  did  have  permission  to  post  in  a 
public  place  the  names  of  common  drunkards.  Such  a 
custom  did  not  remain  long  in  effect.  The  early  pio- 
neers in  the  temperance  cause  made  a  strong  fight  and 
succeeded  in  stamping  out  in  large  measure  the  excesses 
of  the  times. 

First  School  Established  at  the  Plains. — All 
the  children  who  lived  at  the  Plains  up  to  this  period 
had  been  obliged  to  go  to  New  Mills  to  school.  This 
was  too  great  a  distance  for  the  younger  children  and  in 
the  first  year  of  the  19th  century  a  private  school  was 
kept  in  a  small  building  moved  here  from  Middleton. 
In  1816,  however,  the  number  of  children  had  increased 
so  that  a  new  school  district  was  made  and  a  house  built 
on  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  Colonial  building. 
Then  came  the  brick  school  house  (1838)  on  School 
street,  now  the  Central  fire  station,  followed  by  the 
Maple  street  building  (1856). 

Military  Companies  of  Danvers. — After  the  Rev- 
olution and  before  1800  there  were  at  least  two  militia 
companies  in  town,  composed  of  about  fifty  men  each. 
Up  to  1817  one  of  the  organizations  was  in  existence. 
The  following  year  (1818)  the  Danvers  Light  Infantry, 
M.  M.,  was  organized.  The  uniform  consisted  of  a 
blue  swallow-tail  coat  with  gold  buttons,  a  white  or  buff 
waistcoat  and  pantaloons,  high  stiff  hat,  larger  at  the 
top  than  the  base,  with  gold  trimmings  and  a  tall  plume. 
This  company  disbanded  about  1850,  and  its  last  ap- 
pearance as  the  Danvers  Light  Infantry  was  in  1861, 
when  over  one  hundred  past  members  did  escort  duty 
to  the  company  of  volunteers  departing  for  the  scene  of 
the  Civil  War.    Captains  Philemon  Putnam,  Samuel  P. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN  VERS  113 

Fowler,  Eben  Putnam,  Simeon  Putnam,  Amos  Pratt, 
Jacob  Perry,  Asa  Tapley,  Nehemiah  Fuller,  Jesse 
Tapley,  Daniel  Preston,  Nathan  Tapley,  Gilbert  Tap- 
ley,  Warren  Porter,  and  others  were  at  times  command- 
ers of  the  local  company,  the  five  latter  receiving  com- 
missions as  Colonel  in  the  3d  Regiment  of  Infantry,  1st 
Brigade,  2d  Division,  JNI.  M.,  to  which  the  Danvers 
company  belonged.  Major  Moses  Black  and  Major 
Joseph  Stearns  were  also  officers  in  this  division.^ 

VILLAGES  OF  DANVERS. 

Business  at  New  Mills;  Shipping. — After  the 
Revolutionary  war,  business  at  New  Mills  began  to 
increase  until  this  village  gained  the  reputation  of  being 
the  largest  and  busiest  in  town  (1825).  Vessels  laden 
with  foreign  goods  were  daily  arriving  at  the  wharves. 
Storehouses  were  built  to  accommodate  the  wares  until 
they  could  be  carried  away  by  purchasers.  There  being 
no  railroad  facilities  in  town  at  the  time,  nearly  every- 
thing came  by  water  to  New  Mills.  Quite  a  large  ex- 
port trade  was  also  built  up,  the  vessels  which  arrived 
with  foreign  goods  taking  awaj'-  shoes,  potatoes,  bricks, 
and  other  products  of  Danvers,  even  as  far  as  the  coast 
of  Africa.  Hanson  says  that  during  1846  there  were 
157  arrivals  at  the  various  wharves,  with  cargoes  of 
wood,  flour,  corn,  lime,  salt,  molasses  and  coal,  while 
this  number  was  increased  to  250  at  the  height  of  the 
greatest  prosperity.  Many  men  of  the  place  were  either 
masters  or  owners  of  merchant  vessels  which  sailed  to 
foreign  lands.  This  was  a  business  in  which  great  for- 
tunes, for  those  days,  were  accumulated.  The  large 
substantial  houses  at  the  Port,  now  so  neglected,  were 
once  the  comfortable  homes  of  those  sea-kings,  filled  as 

1  For  names  see  Military  and  Naval  Annals  of  Danvers,  pp.  142-43. 


114  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

they  were  with  choice  furnishings  brought  from  the 
British  Isles,  Russia,  France  and  the  Far  East. 

The  leading  merchant  of  the  eighteenth  century  at 
New  Mills  was  Capt.  Samuel  Page,  a  veteran  of  the 
Revolution,  whose  vessels  sailed  to  all  parts  of  the  world. 
The  story  of  his  service  in  the  war  has  been  related  by 
a  grandson,  who  had  it  from  the  soldier's  own  lips: 

"On  April  19,  1775,  when  Samuel  Page  was  twenty- 
one  years  old,  he  was  at  work  with  his  father  in  his 
brick-j^ard.  Between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  A.  M.  the 
news  came  of  the  British  marching  to  Concord.  His 
father  left  his  work  and  said,  'Don't  you  go,  Sam! 
You  must  stay  at  home  and  take  care  of  your  mother.' 
He  was  a  private  in  his  father's  company  of  militia, 
but  his  patriotic  ardor  was  so  great  he  hurried  to  Lex- 
ington. Snatching  a  linen  coat,  he  met  other  young 
men  where  now  is  the  Lexington  monument  in  Peabody. 
They  took  a  short  cut  across  the  country,  and  in  four 
hours  they  reached  the  British  retreating  through  West 
Cambridge.  He  fought  by  the  side  of  Perley  Putnam, 
who  is  credited  as  being  in  the  company  of  Capt.  Israel 
Hutchinson.  In  company  ^vith  others,  he  went  into  a 
barnyard,  and  finding  some  shingles,  they  made  a  breast- 
work of  them,  from  behind  which  they  fired  at  the 
retreating  British.  So  unexpected  and  fatal  was  the 
assault  upon  the  enemy's  columns,  that  it  brought  them 
to  a  halt.  In  loading  his  gun  for  another  charge.  Page 
broke  his  ramrod,  which  was  a  wooden  one,  and  turning 
to  Putnam,  he  asked  him  to  lend  him  his;  but  at  that 
instant  a  shot  from  the  enemy's  flank  guard  laid  Put- 
nam dead  at  his  feet." 

He  was  commissioned  Captain  of  the  7th  Company 
of  the  8th  Essex  County  Regiment  and  participated, 
among  others,  in  the  battles  of  INIonmouth  and  Stony 
Point.     He  was  with  Washington  at  the  crossing  of 


SHIP'S  CABIN  LANTERN  USED  BY 

CAPT.  SAMUEL  PAGE 

From  the  original  in    possession  of  the 

Peabody  Museum,  Salem 


RESIDKNCE  OF  CAPT.  SAMUKL  PAGE,  WATER  STREET 
From  an  oil  painting  in  the  possession  of  Miss  Sara  P.  Fowler 


THE  THOMAS  PUTNAM  HOUSE,  DANVERSPORT 
Built  about'1772.     The  home  of  Jotham  Webb,  one  of  the  Danvers  men  killed  at 


Lexington.     Used  as  a  tavern  by  Benjamin  Balch  in  1782. 
Water  Street  to  off  Merrill  Street. 


Removed  from 


WATER  STREET,  DANVERSPORT,  FROM   FOX  HILL 

From  a  pencil  drawing  made  in  1832  by  Maurice  C.  Oby 
Showing  the  Major  Moses  Black  House  and  Morocco  Factory. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN\T:RS  115 

the  Delaware,  and  in  the  severe  winter  of  1777  shared 
in  the  suffering  of  the  American  army  at  Valley  Forge. 
He  served  in  the  campaign  of  1779,  and,  with  his  com- 
pany, was  in  the  advance  when  the  gallant  Wayne 
stormed  Stony  Point.  As  the  fortress  was  to  be  cap- 
tured at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  Wayne  ordered  the 
flints  to  be  removed  from  the  muskets.  Page  had  pieces 
of  paper  placed  in  the  hats  of  his  men  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  British.  Then,  silently  and  swiftly,  with 
the  water  rising  above  their  waists,  they  surprised  the 
garrison  and  took  the  fort. 

After  the  Revolution,  he  settled  in  what  is  now  Dan- 
versport.  He  had  a  fine  mansion  for  those  days,  which 
was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  aristocratic  residences 
of  the  town,  occupying  the  present  site  of  the  Danvers 
Coal  Company's  property  on  Water  street.  Behind  it 
he  built  a  long  dock  for  his  vessels.  He  also  erected 
several  large  warehouses  to  accommodate  his  business. 
His  garden  extended  north  somewhat  over  the  site  of 
old  Citizen's  Hall. 

Captain  Page  was  full  owner  of  ten  vessels,  mostly 
schooners,  and  part  owner  of  three  more.  He  named 
a  schooner  for  each  of  his  daughters,  namely,  "Sally," 
"Nancy,"  "Eliza,"  "Clarissa,"  "Rebecca,"  and  also  one 
for  his  daughter  "Betsey"  who  died  in  infancy.  He  also 
named  a  schooner  for  his  son  "Jeremiah,"  and  a  brig 
for  his  son  "William."  One  of  his  schooners  was  named 
"Two  Brothers,"  and  one  "Five  Sisters."  Of  all  these 
he  was  sole  owner  excepting  the  "Betsey."  He  also  had 
a  ship,  "Putnam,"  named  probably  for  his  wife,  whose 
master  was  at  one  time  Nathaniel  Bowditch,  the 
famous  mathematician  and  navigator,  and  a  brig  "Re- 
becca," perhaps  named  for  his  wife,  also  a  schooner 
^'Dolphin"  and  a  schooner  "Hawk,"  of  which  be  was 
sole  owner.    He  sent  these  vessels  to  the  Grand  Banks 


116  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

for  fish,  which  was  exchanged  in  France,  Spain,  Hol- 
land, Russia,  and  the  West  Indies  for  fruit,  mechanical 
and  agricultural  tools,  drj'^  goods  and  small  wares,  wines 
and  brandies.  In  1799  and  1800  the  French  captured 
two  of  his  schooners,  "Eliza"  and  "Sally,"  for  which 
his  descendants  in  quite  recent  years  obtained  redress. 

He  was  President  of  the  New  Hampshire  Iron  Co. 
and  a  director  of  the  Salem  Iron  Works,  also  a  member 
of  the  Salem  Marine  Society,  and  a  strong  temperance 
advocate.  He  was  a  member  of  the  General  Court  for 
ten  years,  and  nine  years  a  selectman.  He  was  also  on 
the  school  board.  The  people  turned  to  him  as  coun- 
sellor in  town  affairs,  and  as  administrator  of  estates  and 
as  referee  he  was  often  sought.  He  died  September  2, 
1814,  aged  61  years,  leaving  a  large  estate.  His  grave 
is  in  Walnut  Grove  cemetery. 

Henry  Fowler,  William  Endicott  and  Leonard  Poole, 
all  of  Danvers,  had  a  thrilling  experience  on  a  trip  to 
the  Fiji  Islands  in  1826.  They  embarked  on  the  ship 
"Glide,"  from  Salem,  for  a  cargo  of  Beche-de-Mer  (a 
sort  of  sea-slugs  found  on  the  reefs)  tortoise-shell  and 
sandal-wood.  The  ship  was  wrecked  and  the  men  suf- 
fered many  hardships  on  the  islands  which  they  man- 
aged to  reach,  and  which  were  inhabited  by  cannibals. 
Mr.  Fowler  lived  in  friendly  relations  with  the  savages 
for  some  time,  and  was  honored  and  respected  by  them. 
A  description  of  a  cannibal  feast  upon  human  flesh  is 
graphically  told  by  him  in  the  Danvers  Courier  of  Aug. 
16,  1845.  It  was  four  years  before  Mr.  Fowler  re- 
turned home.  The  story  of  these  years  has  been  printed 
in  a  volume  entitled  "The  Wreck  of  the  Glide,"  pub- 
lished in  1848. 

Another  thrilling  shipwreck,  in  which  Capt.  Edward 
Richardson  of  Danvers,  when  a  young  man  in  1810, 
was  one  of  the  company  to  survive,  was  that  of  the  ship 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  117 

"Margaret"  of  Salem.  Sailing  from  Naples,  she  en- 
countered a  heavy  gale  four  hundred  miles  from  the 
nearest  land.  A  few  who  managed  to  escape  in  the 
longboat  were  picked  up,  after  spending  several  days 
without  food  or  water.  A  pamphlet  written  by  Captain 
Fairfield  gives  a  detailed  account  of  the  sufferings  of 
the  crew.  Captain  Richardson  removed  to  New  York 
about  1832,  where  he  became  a  prominent  merchant  and 
a  pioneer  and  leader  in  all  seamen's  welfare  work  in 
Brooklyn  and  New  York.    His  death  occurred  in  1870. 

Among  other  seafaring  men,  either  natives  or  resi- 
dents of  Danvers,  were  Capt.  Stephen  Wilkins,  Capt. 
Charles  Wilkins,  Capt.  Charles  Rhoades,  Capt.  An- 
drew M.  Putnam,  Capt.  Horace  B.  Putnam,  Capt.  Seth 
Richardson,  Capt.  Abel  Richardson,  Capt.  Thomas 
Cheever,  Capt.  Benjamin  Porter,  Capt.  Nathaniel  Put- 
nam, Capt.  Frank  Putnam,  Capt.  Lewis  Endicott, 
Capt.  George  Putnam,  Capt.  George  Johnson,  Capt. 
Henry  Johnson,  Capt.  Thomas  Johnson,  Capt.  Israel 
P.  Porter,  Capt.  James  A.  Johnson,  Capt.  Hiram 
Putnam,  Capt.  Thomas  Putnam,  Capt.  Samuel  H. 
Webster,  Capt.  Samuel  Endicott,  Capt.  John  Endi- 
cott, Israel  Endicott,  W.  J.  C.  Kenney,  Jonathan 
Smith,  Philemon  Putnam,  Capt.  Stephen  Brown, 
Capt.  Parker  Brown,  Capt.  Moses  Endicott,  Capt. 
Joshua  Goodale,  Capt.  Solomon  Giddings,  Captain 
Elliott,  Capt.  William  Cheever,  Capt.  Allen  Putnam, 
Captain  Haskell,  Capt.  Albert  Putnam,  Capt.  William 
Johnson,  Capt.  Jeremiah  Putnam,  Capt.  Caleb  Oakes, 
Capt.  Benjamin  Kent. 

The  shipyards,  too,  at  New  Mills,  were  lively  places, 
where  there  were  always  one  or  two  vessels  in  process 
of  construction.  The  launching  of  these  was  an  inter- 
esting occasion.  With  brick-making,  iron  and  nail 
works,  wheat  mills  and  saw  mills,  tanneries,  shoe  shops, 


118  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

and  a  good-sized  country  store,  there  must  have  been 
busy  times  at  New  Mills  in  the  old  days. 

Samuel  Fowler,  Jr.,  who  was  born  in  1776,  and  died 
in  1859,  carried  on  an  extensive  milling  and  tanning 
business  near  Liberty  Bridge.  His  father,  who  was  a 
shipwright,  removed  to  Danvers  from  Ipswich  about 
1765,  and  assisted  in  building,  before  and  during  the 
Revolution,  many  vessels  at  New  Mills,  of  some  of 
which  he  was  part  owner.  He  built  the  house  corner 
of  High  and  Liberty  streets,  which  is  now  owned  and 
preserved  by  the  Society  for  the  Preservation  of  New 
England  Antiquities.  In  170d,  he  married  Clarissa 
Page,  daughter  of  Capt.  Samuel  Page.  His  tanyard, 
which  remained  in  the  family  until  about  1880,  was  one 
of  the  longest-established  in  the  country  and  was  said 
to  have  been  the  largest  in  the  state,  having  450  vats 
for  tanning  sole  leather.  It  occupied  the  land  now 
owned  by  the  Widen-Lord  Company  on  Liberty  street. 

One  of  the  most  prosperous  pioneer  shoe  manufac- 
turers in  this  section  was  Caleb  Oakes,  who  learned  the 
business  at  Jonathan  Porter's  shop  in  Putnamville.  He 
started  in  business  for  himself  and  later  moved  to  New 
Mills,  where  he  built  up  a  large  trade.  He  accumulated 
a  fortune  and  was  most  liberal  in  its  distribution,  espe- 
cially among  the  poor  and  unfortunate. 

His  son,  William  Oakes,  A.  M.,  born  in  Danvers, 
Juty  1,  1799,  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard  in  1820,  and 
a  famous  botanist.  He  studied  law  and  began  practice 
in  Ipswich  in  1824,  but  abandoned  it  early  for  the  study 
of  natural  history.  He  was  called  "the  most  distin- 
guished botanist  of  New  England"  by  the  American 
Journal  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  and  his  exploration  of  the 
White  Mountain  region  resulted  in  his  wonderful  com- 
pilation, not  only  of  the  flora  of  that  whole  section,  but 
the  geology,  mineralogy  and  zoology  as  well.  His  "New 


Courtesy  "  Old-Time  New  England  " 


Copyright  by  Frank  Cousins  Art  Co.,  1911 


MANTEL  IN  PARLOR  CHAMBER,  FOWLER  HOUSE 
This  room  still  retains  its  old  wall  paper 


Courtesy  "  Old-Time  New  England  " 

THE  PARLOR  OF  THE  SAMUEL  FOWLER  HOUSE 


be 
c 

t  "^ 

^    o 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN  VERS  119 

England  Flora"  was  in  the  hands  of  the  printer  in 
1848  when  his  distinguished  life  came  to  a  close,  by  acci- 
dent on  a  ferry-boat  between  Boston  and  East  Boston. 
He  had  contributed  to  many  scientific  publications,  but 
his  contributions  to  American  botany  were  not  to  be 
judged  by  these.  It  was  said  that  there  were  few  bot- 
anists in  the  country  who  were  not  indebted  to  him, 
directly  or  indirectly,  for  some  portion  of  their  knowl- 
edge, and  what  he  might  have  accomplished  had  his 
life  been  spared,  cannot  be  measured. 

Parish  Rate  Abolished. — Up  to  this  time  (1828) 
the  law  made  in  the  first  days  of  the  church  in  this  coun- 
try, enforcing  everyone  to  contribute  to  the  support  of 
the  minister,  was  still  in  effect.  This  was  perfectly 
legitimate  during  the  many  years  when  there  were  in 
existence  no  religious  bodies  other  than  those  of  the 
Congregational  faith.  But  when  new  religious  bodies 
sprang  into  existence,  the  advocates  of  these  new  de- 
nominations naturally  rebelled  against  paying  their 
rates  at  the  old  First  Church  while  also  supporting  the 
church  of  their  choice.  So  long  as  this  old  law  existed, 
the  Congregational  churches  had  a  claim  upon  every 
man  in  town.  It  now  created  much  annoyance  and 
ill-feeling.    The  law  was  abolished  in  1828. 

Liberal  Religious  Thought;  Universalist  So- 
ciety Formed. — The  next  year  (1829)  liberal  thought 
took  shape  in  the  formation  of  the  Universalist  Society. 
Deacon  Edmund  Putnam,  who  had  served  as  deacon 
of  the  First  Church  twenty-three  years,  was  the  pioneer 
in  this  faith.  For  fifteen  years  previous  to  this  time 
many  of  the  Putnamville  people  were  accustomed  to 
meet  in  the  little  shoe  shop  of  Zerubbabel  Porter  to 
discuss  these  "new-fangled  ideas  of  God's  grace"  which 
proclaimed  universal  salvation.    This,  in  the  eyes  of  the 


120  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

old  Congregationalists,  was  nothing  less  than  rank 
heresy,  but  the  new  cause  gradually  gained  friends,  and 
drifting  away  from  the  mother  church,  the  "Danvers 
Universal  Society"  came  into  existence.  The  first 
meetings  were  held  in  the  schoolhouse  at  Putnamville, 
where  Ballon,  the  Streeters,  Murray,  and  others  often 
preached.  The  new  faith  drew  many  members  from 
the  First  and  Baptist  churches.  The  old  Baptist  Church, 
which  had  given  way  to  a  new  one,  was  first  rented, 
then  the  society  built  (1832)  the  present  Roman  Cath- 
olic church,  and  later  (1858)  the  house  of  worship  on 
High  street,  whose  twin  towers  can  be  seen  from  all 
approaches  to  the  town. 

The  ministers  of  this  church  have  been:  Rev.  F.  A. 
Hodson,  1831-1832;  Rev.  W.  H.  Knapp,  1833-1836; 
Rev.  Samuel  Brimblecom,  1836-1840;  Rev.  A.  A. 
Davis,  1840-1841;  Rev.  D.  P.  Livermore,  1841-1843: 
Rev.  S.  C.  Bulkley,  1843-1846;  Rev.  J.  W.  Hanson, 
the  pubhsher  of  a  "History  of  Danvers,"  1846-1848; 
Rev.  J.  W.  Putnam,  1849-1864;  Rev.  H.  C.  Delong, 
186.5-1868;  Rev.  G.  J.  Sanger,  1868-1874;  Rev.  H.  P. 
Forbes,  1875-1880;  Rev.  F.  A.  Dillingham,  1880-1885; 
Rev.  W.  S.  WilHams,  1885-1886;  Rev.  C.  B.  Lynn, 
1887-1890;  Rev.  W.  H.  Trickey,  1891-1897;  Rev.  Ed- 
son  Reifsnider,  1898-1903;  Rev.  Eugene  M.  Grant, 
1904-1912;  Rev.  A.  E.  Wright,  1912-1915;  Rev.  George 
A.  Mark,  1915-1916;  Rev.  Ernest  M.  W.  Smith,  1916- 
1918;  Rev.  Gerhardt  Dehly,  1918-1919;  (Union  with 
Unitarian)  Rev.  E.  H.  Cotton,  1919-1921;  Rev.  Mr. 
Hayes,  1921-1922;  Rev.  Llewellyn  A.  Owen,  1922. 

Putnamville  Wealthy  and  Prosperous. — For 
more  than  a  half  century  after  Zerubbabel  Porter 
started  his  little  shoe  factory  in  Putnamville,  that  sec- 
tion of  the  town  enjoyed  unusual  prosperity.  In  fact, 
it  might  have  been  called  the  centre  of  Danvers'  business 


Courtesy  "  Old-Time  New  England  '  '  Copyright  by  Frank  Cousins  Art  Co.,  1911 

THE  FRONT  DOOR  AS  SEEN  FROM  THE  HALL,  FOWLER  HOUSE 


SHIP  "  MARGARET  "  OF  SALEM,  John  Crowninshield  and  William  Fairfield,  owners 
Lost  in  1810.    Capt.  Edward  Richardson,  of  Danvers,  was  one  of  the  survivors  of  the  wreck 


SHIP  "  GLIDE  "  OF  SALEM,  Joseph  Peabody,  owner 

Wrecked  in  1832,  Henry  Fowler,  Leonard  Poole  and  William   Endicott  of  Danvers 

being  among  the  crew  who  weie  saved 

From  the  painting  by  "  Anton  Roux  fils  aine  a  Marseille,  1823,"  now  in  possession 
of  George  Augustus  Peabody,  Esq. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  121 

activity  during  the  first  half  of  the  19th  century.  Seven 
shoe  factories  employed  a  large  number  of  men,  and 
Samuel  Fowle's  box  factory  supplied  the  needs  in  that 
direction.  New  families  attracted  by  the  prospect  of 
steady  work,  established  themselves  there  and  made 
pleasant  homes.  The  manufacturers  made  shoes — and 
money.  They  hired  teamsters  to  drive  over  the  road  to 
Boston  several  times  a  week  with  loads  of  the  manu- 
factured product,  which  were  disposed  of  at  good  prices. 
The  frequent  visits  of  dealers  from  Boston,  New  York, 
Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  and  the  regular  number 
of  big  covered  wagons  for  the  transportation  of  pur- 
chases made  this  section  a  busy  place. 

One  of  the  successful  manufacturers  was  Hon.  Elias 
Putnam,  who  was  born  June  7,  1789,  in  Danvers.  He 
taught  school  in  Putnamville,  after  taking  a  course  at 
Bradford  academy,  and  then  chose  the  life  of  a  farmer 
instead  of  the  college  education  offered  him.  Shoe 
manufacturing,  however,  soon  claimed  his  attention,  and 
the  remaining  years  of  his  short  life  were  spent  in  that 
occupation.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  Universalists, 
represented  the  town  in  the  Senate,  and  was  influential 
in  securing  railroad  facilities  for  Danvers ;  was  the  first 
to  suggest  a  bank  for  the  town,  and  its  first  president; 
was  elected  first  president  of  Walnut  Grove  cemetery, 
which  was  laid  out  at  his  suggestion,  among  others ;  and 
was  a  warm  friend  of  education  and  always  public 
spirited.  "He  greatly  desired  to  see  slavery  brought 
to  an  end,  but  he  was  opposed  to  all  rash  and  violent 
measures  to  compass  the  result."  His  personal  char- 
acter was  the  noblest,  and  he  delighted  in  doing  good 
to  others.  His  services  in  the  county  and  the  town  were 
in  constant  requisition,  on  account  of  his  strong  mind 
and  excellent  judgment.  He  enjoyed  the  entire  confi- 
dence of  the  community.     No  one  in  the  town  ever  did 


122  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

more  for  the  prosperity  of  Danvers  than  did  he.  He 
died  July  8, 1847,  while  yet  a  comparatively  young  man. 
The  house  which  he  built  on  Park  street  is  now  "The 
Home  for  the  Aged." 

Business  Start  at  The  Plains;  The  Country 
Stores. — While  Putnamville  was  still  at  the  height  of 
its  commercial  glory,  the  Plains  began  to  show  signs 
of  life.  In  1830  several  enterprising  men,  including 
Samuel  Preston,  Capt.  Eben  Putnam  and  Joshua  Sil- 
vester, had  begun  the  manufacture  of  shoes  at  the 
Square,  which  bid  fair  to  outrival  Putnamville  before 
many  years.  In  1836  the  population  of  the  Plains  was 
only  130,  but  two  years  later  the  Salem  Gazette  com- 
ments thus: 

"Within  a  few  years,  some  six  or  eight,  between  30 
and  40  dwelling  houses  and  other  buildings  have  been 
added  to  this  place,  and  several  more,  including  a  large 
hotel,  are  going  up  at  the  present  time.  A  few  years 
ago  this  was  a  village  of  a  few  scattered  houses,  and  the 
chief  business  besides  agriculture  was  confined  to  two 
stores.  Now  the  place  has  a  bank,  several  shoe  manu- 
factories, and  shops  of  various  kinds  of  artisans.  The 
place  at  present  is  fast  branching  out  into  streets  and 
building  lots,  many  of  them  commanding  a  high  price, — 
the  whole  assuming  quite  a  townlike  appearance.  All 
this  is  attributed  to  enterprise  and  industry  and  to  the 
establishment  of  manufactures, — a  never-failing  cause 
of  thrift." 

The  shoe  industry  made  rapid  strides  and  for  the 
next  half  century  was  the  principal  manufacturing 
business  of  the  town.  These  were  years  of  great  pros- 
perity for  the  shoe  men.  The  southern  and  western 
markets,  which  depended  almost  exclusively  for  their 
supply  upon  New  England,  were  every  day  opening 
new  sources  of  consumption.    The  increasing  population 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN  VERS  123 

of  the  West  alone  created  a  demand  which  the  local 
manufacturers  could  by  no  means  meet.  The  workmen 
were  receiving  what  they  considered  very  high  wages. 
"We  know  of  journeymen  earning  two  and  a  half  dol- 
lars a  day  regularly  and  with  ease,"  says  a  contempo- 
rary account.  Danvers  was  already  well  and  favorably 
known  as  a  shoe  town,  and  the  quality  of  boots  and 
shoes  turned  out  was  the  equal  of  any  in  the  country. 

The  business  has  experienced  many  vicissitudes  dur- 
ing these  years,  according  to  the  financial  condition  of 
the  country.  In  1854  there  were  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  town  thirty-five  firms,  making  animalh'^ 
over  a  million  and  a  half  pairs,  valued  at  over  a  million 
dollars,  and  giving  employment  to  about  2,500  persons. 
In  the  first  years  of  the  shoe  business  a  great  and  happy 
change  was  wrought  in  many  families  in  town.  Sons 
and  daughters  of  parents  of  limited  means  no  longer 
"lived  out."  They  could  now  help  on  the  shoes  and 
keep  within  the  home  circle.  It  was  the  beginning  of 
a  new  era.  The  wealthy  farmers,  who  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  employ  them,  found  in  the  stalwart  young  men 
and  women  of  New  Hampshire  worthy  substitutes,  and 
in  this  way  commenced  the  drain  of  young  people  from 
the  hill  towns  of  the  northern  states.* 

1  Among  the  shoe  manufacturers  in  the  various  parts  of  the  town, 
in  addition  to  those  mentioned,  have  been  :  Elias  Endicott,  Jonathan. 
Putnam,  Samuel  Putnam,  Jonathan  Porter,  Nathaniel  Boardman, 
Daniel  Putnam,  Daniel  F.  Putnam,  Georg-e  A.  Putnam,  Henry  F. 
Putnam,  Elbridge  Trask,  Israel  P.  Boardman,  Frederick  Perley,  Joseph 
S.  Black,  John  Sears,  Eben  Hutchinson,  James  Hutchinson,  John  C. 
Butler,  Alfred  Fellows,  John  R.  Langley,  Joel  Putnam,  Israel  H. 
Putnam,  Jesse  Tapley,  George  Tapley,  Aaron  Putnam,  William  E. 
Putnam,  A.  Alden  White,  Phineas  Corning,  Reed  Jones,  Abraham 
Callahan,  Henry  Prentiss,  Joseph  G.  Prentiss,  Otis  Mudge,  Francis 
Noyes,  John  M.  C.  Noyes,  Nathaniel  Sylvester,  Joseph  G.  Prentiss, 
N.  Holten  Boardman,  Ira  P.  Pope,  Charles  H.  Gould,  Albert  G.  Allen, 
George  Howe,  Albert  Howe,  Alden  Demsey,  Edwin  Mudge,  Edward 
Hutchinson,  Edmund  Legro,  Augustus  Mudge,  James  Goodale,  Melvin 
B.  Putnam,  C.  C.  Farwell,  J.  E.  Farrar,  Silas  Conant,  James  B. 
Sawyer,  Henry  M.  Merrill,  E.  Everett  Eaton,  Robert  K.  Sears,  George 


124  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

The  country  groceries,  one  at  Perley's  corner,  kept 
by  John  Perley  and  later  A.  Proctor  Perley  and  Moses 
J.  Currier,  and  the  other  in  the  Richards  building,  kept 
by  Jonas  Warren,  later  by  Daniel  Richards,  came  in 
for  their  share  of  trade.  In  those  days  the  country  store 
was  a  scene  of  great  activity,  and  between  the  two  on 
Danvers  Square  there  existed  much  rivalry.  Both  of 
these  establishments  did  an  extensive  business.  Their 
trade  was  chiefly  with  people  in  the  back  country,  who 
came  to  town  with  teams  loaded  with  produce,  which 
they  exchanged  for  a  supply  of  fish,  salt,  molasses  and 
other  staples.  The  store  at  which  they  could  drive  the 
best  bargain  secured  their  trade.  It  is  said  that  as  many 
as  forty  would  arrive  in  one  day,  keeping  the  clerks 
busy  loading  for  the  return  trip  well  into  midnight,  and 
giving  the  Square  a  bustling  appearance. 

Jonas  Warren  was  one  of  the  ablest  business  men 
who  ever  lived  in  Danvers  and  an  "up-and-down  square 
dealer."  He  was  born  in  North  Beverly,  July  29,  1787. 
Early  he  struck  out  for  himself,  coming  to  Danvers  and 
working  as  clerk  in  Gideon  Putnam's  grocery  store, 
corner  Elm  and  High  streets.  Before  many  years  he 
bought  the  business,  and  his  fairness  and  farsightedness 
won  for  him  a  tremendous  trade.  In  1841,  he  sold  out 
at  the  Plains  and  opened  a  store  at  the  Port,  where  he 
became  the  pioneer  of  the  wholesale  flour  and  grain 
business.  The  first  to  bring  grain  to  this  port  by  water, 
from  the  cargoes  of  the  many  vessels  in  his  employment, 
he  supplied  a  very  extensive  inland  trade.  He  was  a 
constant  supporter  of  the  Unitarian  faith.    He  was  the 

E.  Martin,  Walter  A.  Tapley,  Granville  W.  Clapp,  J.  Albert  Blake, 
Henry  Preston,  Gilbert  A.  Tapley,  Thomas  Palmer,  Fred  and  Reuben 
Wilkins,  Jeremiah  Chapman,  Jacob  Cross,  Daniel  P.  Pope,  Malcolm 
Sillars,  Georg-e  W.  French,  Joseph  Crosby,  B.  Lewis  Tibbetts,  Austin 
Huckins,  Loring-  Carleton,  Joseph  N.  Smith,  Georg'e  H.  Peabody,  Charles 
L.  Elliott,  C,  A.  Kieth,  Patrick  Sullivan,  Martin  Kelley,  Fred  U.  French. 


THE  UNIVERSALIST  CHURCH 


-     £  ^ 

<     CU    ° 
12       CM 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  125 

last  survivor  of  the  New  Mills  Alarm  List  of  1814,  and 
died  Nov.  18,  1876,  nearly  90  years  of  age,  "leaving  the 
community  the  priceless  example  of  the  life  of  an  hon- 
est man,  and  to  his  family  the  legacy  of  an  unspotted 
name." 

Daniel  Richards  was  a  native  of  Atkinson,  N.  H., 
and  came  to  Danvers  as  a  clerk  for  Mr.  Warren  in 
1828.  When  the  temperance  movement  was  being  agi- 
tated, he  started  a  temperance  store  in  the  building 
corner  Locust  and  Maple  streets,  from  which  the  old- 
time  custom  of  selling  liquor  was  excluded.  Later,  after 
Mr.  Warren  moved  to  the  Port,  he  bought  the  latter's 
stand  on  the  Square,  then  owned  by  Elias  Putnam, 
which  he  ever  afterward  conducted.  He  was  for  thirty 
years  president  of  the  National  Bank  and  a  life  trustee 
of  Peabody  Institute.  He  built  the  grist  mill  at  Libert}'^ 
bridge,  which,  later  used  as  a  rubber  mill,  was  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1898.   He  died  in  November,  1886. 

A.  Proctor  Perley  and  his  brother  Nathaniel  came 
from  Boxford  in  1830  and  bought  out  the  general  store 
of  John  Perley,  who  had  conducted  the  business  at  the 
corner  of  JNIaple  and  Willow  streets,  as  Conant  street 
was  then  known,  since  1800  and  possibly  earlier.  The 
latter  was  a  native  of  Georgetown,  and  after  leaving 
Danvers  experienced  a  successful  career  in  New  York 
and  Philadelphia,  amassing  a  considerable  fortune,  with 
which  he  founded  the  Perley  Free  School  in  George- 
town. Nathaniel  Perley  died  in  1835,  and  Proctor  Per- 
ley took  as  a  partner  his  brother-in-law,  Moses  J.  Cur- 
rier. The  business  was  conducted  under  the  firm  name 
of  Perley  &  Currier  for  forty-five  years,  or  until  Mr. 
Perley's  death  in  1881.  In  1885,  Mr.  Currier  retired 
and  the  store  was  purchased  by  Charles  N.  Perley,  son 
of  the  senior  partner,  who,  with  his  children,  still  con- 
tinues it.    It  is  thus  the  oldest  established  business  in 


126  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

town,  having  been  conducted  by  the  Perley  family  for 
more  than  125  years.  For  years  this  store  was  the  ren- 
dezvous for  the  townspeople  generally,  who,  around  the 
big  wood  or  coal  fire,  told  stories,  played  jokes,  discussed 
all  the  topics  of  the  day,  and  no  doubt  settled  to  their 
own  satisfaction,  at  least,  all  the  great  problems  con- 
fronting the  nation.  Mr.  Perley  was  always  alert  and 
full  of  native  wit,  and  many  tales  are  told  of  practical 
jokes  perpetrated  by  him  on  some  unsuspecting  towns- 
man. He  was  popular  with  the  whole  community,  and 
his  partner  was  also  well  and  favorably  known  for  miles 
around. 

These  stores  were  a  great  accommodation  to  the  shoe 
manufacturers  also,  whose  workmen  were  not  paid  in 
money,  but  in  orders  for  groceries,  dry  goods,  or  other 
commodities.  The  shoe  men  had  little  cash  on  hand  and 
sold  their  shoes  to  the  southern  planters  on  six  months' 
notes,  which  were  settled  when  the  planters  were  paid 
for  their  crops.  This  was,  on  the  whole,  a  satisfactory 
arrangement  from  the  standpoint  of  the  workman. 
Everything  could  be  procured  in  these  stores,  from  a 
salt  fish  to  a  new  silk  dress,  and  although  they  had  not 
much  ready  money  to  indulge  in  such  luxuries  as  cakes 
and  lemonade  on  muster  daj^s,  yet  they  lived  contented, 
happy  and  peaceful  lives. 

Other  Manufacturing  in  Danvers. — In  years 
gone  by  it  was  commonly  said  of  Lynn  that  all  the 
inhabitants  worked  upon  shoes  except  the  minister — 
and  that  he  made  his  own.  That  can  hardly  be  said  of 
Danvers.  Although  notablj^  a  shoe  town,  other  indus- 
tries have  occupied  the  attention  of  the  people.  The 
manufacture  of  earthenware  was  introduced  very  early 
into  the  southern  part  of  the  town  by  the  Southwicks 
and  Osbornes.  In  the  middle  of  the  18th  century  the 
manufacture  of  bricks  bj^  Deacon  Joseph  and  Israel 


THE  OLD  TOAVN  OF  DAN  VERS  127 

Putnam,  on  Conant  street,  was  an  important  business, 
followed  by  the  Pages,  John  Fowler  and  Nathaniel 
Webb,  off  High  street,  and  in  more  recent  years  by 
Day,  Gray,  Carr,  Gallivan  and  others  at  Danversport 
and  East  Danvers.  It  is  claimed  that  Col.  Jeremiah 
Page  was  the  first  in  Massachusetts  to  make  "clapped" 
bricks,  which  were  shipped  to  many  distant  points. 
Tanneries,  as  early  as  1739,  were  established  in  the 
Middle  Precinct  by  Edward  South  wick,  a  business  which 
has  always  been  maintained,  there  being  in  1845,  61 
tanneries  of  such  influence  that  "the  state  of  the  leather 
market  determined  the  degree  of  prosperitj^  which  the 
town  enjoyed."  Now,  of  course,  Peabody  as  a  tanning 
community  is  second  to  none  in  the  country.  Lumber, 
iron,  and  the  manufacture  of  leather,  electric  lamps, 
crayons,  knitted  goods  and  neckties,  have  been  and  still 
are  valuable  accessions  to  the  business  life  of  the  town. 

Banks  Established. — The  Square,  which  was  no 
more  than  a  country  cross-roads  a  few  years  before, 
soon  became  a  busy  commercial  center.  The  establish- 
ment of  the  Village  Bank  about  this  time  (1836)  also 
helped  the  growth  of  the  Plains.  It  was  started  through 
the  efforts  of  Elias  Putnam  and  other  leading  shoe 
manufacturers,  and  it  occupied  the  site  at  the  corner 
of  Elm  and  Maple  streets.  It  was  later  called  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Danvers,  and  in  1904,  under  a  new 
charter,  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Danvers  National 
Bank.    The  present  building  was  erected  in  1854. 

The  Presidents  of  the  National  Bank  have  been: 
Hon.  Elias  Putnam,  1836-1847;  Moses  Putnam,  1847- 
1856;  Daniel  Richards,  1856-1886;  Gilbert  A.  Tapley, 
1886-1911;  George  O.  Stimpson,  1911.  Cashiers: 
Samuel  B.  Buttrick,  1836-1841;  William  L.  Weston, 
1841-1884;  Benjamin  E.  Newhall,  1884-1913;  Ralph 
S.  Higgins,  1913. 


128  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

This  enterprise  was  followed  later  (1850)  by  the 
organization  of  the  Danvers  Savings  Bank,  which,  with 
the  Danvers  Co-operative  Bank,  established  in  1892, 
have  assisted  very  materially  in  building  homes  for  the 
people  of  the  town. 

The  Presidents  of  the  Savings  Bank  have  been: 
Gilbert  Tapley,  1850-1859;  Rufus  Putnam,  1859-1876; 
Israel  H.  Putnam,  1876-1884;  Hon.  Augustus  Mudge, 
1884-1902;  Hon.  J.  Frank  Porter,  1902;  Dr.  Charles 
H.  White,  1903-1910;  Charles  H.  Preston,  1910-1916; 
Joshua  Armitage,  1916.  Treasurers:  William  L.  Wes- 
ton, 1850-1884;  Israel  H.  Putnam,  1884-1889;  A. 
Frank  Welch,  1889-1902;  Hon.  J.  Frank  Porter,  1902- 
1916;  Charles  H.  Preston,  1916. 

The  Presidents  of  the  Co-operative  Bank  have  been: 
Fletcher  Pope,  1892-1893;  Hon.  Samuel  L.  Sawyer, 
1893-1910;  Jasper  Marsh,  1910-1922;  Harry  E.  Jack- 
son, 1922. 

Invention  of  Pegging  Machine  ;  Its  Introduc- 
tion INTO  England. — At  this  time  the  soles  of  shoes 
were  all  sewed  on  by  hand.  It  remained  for  a  Danvers 
man  to  invent  the  machine  for  pegging  shoes,  that  is, 
fastening  the  soles  to  the  uppers  by  means  of  wooden 
pegs.  Samuel  Preston,  one  of  the  largest  manufactur- 
ers of  the  day,  was  the  inventor,  and  he  obtained  the 
lirst  patent  ever  issued  for  such  a  machine.  The  paper, 
dated  March  8,  1833,  signed  by  President  Andrew 
Jackson,  together  with  the  original  shoe,  may  be  seen 
at  the  Essex  Institute. 

Mr.  Preston  was  born  in  Danvers,  Nov.  12, 1792,  and 
served  in  important  offices  in  town  and  church.  He 
served  as  secretary  to  the  Danvers  Moral  Society,  and 
was  a  Deacon  of  the  First  Church  for  many  years.  He 
represented  the  town  in  the  General  Court,  1842-1844; 
selectman  in  1850;  school  committee  for  several  years; 


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THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  129 

trustee  of  the  Danvers  Savings  Bank  42  years;  first 
superintendent  of  the  First  Church  Sunday  school  in 
1818;  and  held  the  office  of  notary  public  for  14  years. 
He  died  June  21,  1878,  while  on  a  visit  at  Warner, 
N.  H. 

He  was  married  in  1822  to  Lydia  W.  Proctor,  by 
whom  he  had  several  children,  their  daughter,  Harriet 
Waters  Preston,  becoming  a  writer  of  note.  She  began 
her  literary  career  about  1865  as  a  translator  from  the 
French,  and  published  many  books  throughout  her  life, 
contributing  also  frequent  critical  papers  to  the  At- 
lantic Monthly  and  other  magazines.  She  resided 
abroad  for  many  years,  mostly  in  France  and  Great 
Britain,  and  died  in  1911  at  Keene,  N.  H. 

However,  it  was  reserved  for  men  of  a  later  time  to 
bring  to  wonderful  perfection  what  Mr.  Preston  created 
as  only  a  humble  beginning.  Twelve  years  later  (1845) 
another  Danvers  man,  Joshua  Silvester,  conceived  the 
bold  idea  of  crossing  the  ocean  and  introducing  into 
England  the  manufacture  of  pegged  shoes.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  establishment  of  a  factory  there,  he  was 
employed  by  a  New  York  concern  to  sound  the  English 
market  in  regard  to  its  acceptance  of  American  made 
leather,  with  a  view  to  exporting  large  quantities  to 
that  country.  The  Danvers  Courier  of  Sept.  27,  1845, 
comments  upon  the  experiment  as  follows : 

"It  will  be  recollected  by  our  readers  that  we  pre- 
dicted that  the  experiment  of  shipping  leather  to  Eng- 
land^ would  fail  on  account  of  inveterate  prejudice  of 
Englishmen  to  everything  not  English,  and  that  this 
prejudice  must  be  overcome  by  a  close  imitation  of  their 
own  production  in  quality  and  appearance.  Sufficient 
time  has  now  elapsed  to  know  the  results  of  the  first 

1  In  1910,  the  United  States  exported  fifty  million  dollars'  worth  of 
leather  and  leather  goods  to  England  and  other  countries. 


130  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

shipments,  which  have  all  been  unsuccessful  and  from 
the  cause  above  stated.  We  hope  this  failure  will  not 
discourage  further  attempts  to  introduce  this  important 
staple  into  the  English  market.  We  are  convinced  that 
with  our  advantages  for  the  cheap  and  rapid  manufac- 
ture of  leather,  we  can  undersell  the  British  manufac- 
turers and  satisfy  the  people  there  of  the  equality,  if 
not  the  superiority,  of  our  own  tannage.  We  think 
just  the  right  mode  of  effecting  this  desirable  object  has 
been  hit  upon  by  some  highly  respectable  parties  in  the 
leather  trade  in  New  York,  who  have  engaged  the  ser- 
vices of  an  experienced  shoe  man  of  this  town,  to  go 
to  England  and  superintend  the  making  of  shoes  of 
American  leather  by  English  worlonen.  It  seems  almost 
certain  that  this  undertaking  will  not  only  succeed  but 
be  highly  profitable  to  those  concerned,  as  the  difference 
in  the  cost  of  our  leather  compared  with  the  English 
will  afford  a  good  chance  for  profit,  and  after  the  leather 
is  made  up  the  difference  of  kind  will  be  scarcely  per- 
ceptible to  the  purchaser.  We  think  we  do  not  over- 
estimate the  importance  of  the  English  market  to  the 
leather  trade,  when  we  declare  that  it  will  be  of  as  much 
importance  to  that  interest  as  the  opening  of  the  port 
of  China  for  the  admission  of  cotton  goods  has  been  to 
the  manufacturers  of  cotton  cloths. 

"We  heartily  wish  the  project  every  degree  of  success, 
not  only  on  account  of  the  enterprising  individuals  im- 
mediately interested  in  it,  but  for  the  advantage  it  will 
be  to  the  whole  leather  trade  of  the  country.  Although 
English  prejudice  is  so  strong  against  everything  for- 
eign that  even  educated  men  of  the  country  believe  that 
one  Englishman  is  equal  to  two  Frenchmen,  and  that 
there  is  no  comfort  beyond  the  shores  of  their  little 
Island,  instances  are  not  uncommon  of  this  prejudice 
having  been  overcome  by  Yankee  ingenuity. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  131 

"When  we  sent  our  beef  and  pork  to  England,  Mr. 
Bull  turned  up  his  nose  at  it  until  it  was  cut  up  and 
packed  in  the  British  style,  when  it  at  once  became  quite 
palatable.  So  it  was  with  our  butter  and  cheese,  the 
latter  article  particularly,  which  is  now  in  great  demand 
and  in  extensive  use  in  that  country.  John  received 
our  wooden  clocks,  flattered  as  he  was  by  the  reflection 
of  his  own  bluff  features  as  he  looked  into  their  mirrors, 
and  the  superiority  of  Wenham  Lake  ice  was  too  clear 
not  to  be  seen  through,  even  by  an  Englishman.  These 
changes  in  the  direction  of  articles  of  export,  either 
coastwise  or  foreign,  are  so  familiar  to  those  who  recol- 
lect the  time  when  Danvers  supplied  Albany  with  wool 
and  the  city  of  New  York  with  sole  leather,  that  they 
need  not  be  much  astonished  to  find  the  staple  manu- 
facture of  our  town  finding  its  way  to  a  foreign  market." 

The  business  was  started  in  Manchester  upon  the 
arrival  of  six  Danvers  men  who  were  selected  by  John 
M.  C.  Noyes  to  teach  the  English  the  shoe-pegging 
business,  some  to  work  on  ladies'  and  misses',  and  others 
on  men's  shoes.  The  men  who  went  over  were  Jacob 
Cross,  Charles  Story,  Theodore  Hobbs,  Samuel  Knight, 
William  Marshall  and  Charles  F.  Waitt,  and  they 
sailed  from  Boston  on  the  "Columbiana"  in  April,  in 
company  with  Mr.  Noyes,  being  forty-eight  days  on  the 
trip.  Shoe-pegging  was  a  novelty  then,  and  much  in- 
terest was  manifested  by  all  classes  witnessing  the  pro- 
cess of  the  manufacture  by  these  Yankee  workmen. 
American  tanned  leather  was  sent  over  by  Danvers 
tanners,^  and  the  shoe  pegs  were  obtained  from  Charles 
P.  Preston,  and  later  from  Norris  &  Preston. 

1  Among'  the  firms  of  Danvers,  Salem  and  vicinity  from  whom  he 
boug'ht  leather  to  export,  or  later  to  whom  he  sold  imported  leather 
to  be  made  into  shoes,  -were  the  following- :  A.  F.  Thompson  &  Co., 
B.  F.  Thompson  &  Co.,  J.  A.  Learoyd,  Harris  Munroe,  O.  Kimball, 
J.  R,  Langley,  Joseph  Walden,  D.  C.  Haskell,  Pool  &  Jacobs,  John  G. 


132  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

Previously  only  sewed  work  or  a  clog  consisting  of 
a  wooden  sole  with  a  leather  upper  nailed  to  the  side, 
had  been  sold  there.  They  took  a  sole-leather  splitting 
machine,  which  was  the  first  seen  in  England.  The 
prejudice  against  Yankee  pegged  shoes,  however,  was 
very  strong,  and  for  a  long  time  dealers  could  not  be 
induced  to  buy  them,  but  eventually  a  good  business 
was  established. 

Regarding  the  introduction  of  American  leather  into 
the  English  market  and  the  success  of  the  undertaking, 
the  Salem  Gazette  of  Nov.  23,  1855,  has  this  to  say: 

"In  respect  to  cheapness  of  material  our  American 
tanners  have  a  decided  advantage  over  those  in  Eng- 
land, where  not  only  hides  have  to  be  imported  but 
also  the  materials  for  tanning  them.  The  bark  used  in 
England  is  mainly  imported,  at  much  expense,  from 
the  Baltic  and  Mediterranean  countries.  The  cost  of 
leather  in  England,  therefore,  is  much  increased,  and  a 
chance  is  offered  our  tanners  to  supply  that  market  with 
profit,  since  leather  can  here  be  made  at  less  expense,^ 
and  within  the  last  ten  years  (since  the  new  British 
tariff)  a  considerable  trade  has  been  growing  up  in  this 
commodity.  At  first  the  English  dealers  had  strong 
prejudices  against  American  leather,  but  these  seem 
to  be  so  far  removed  that  English  houses  are  now  en- 
gaged in  its  importation.  The  English  leather  is  gen- 
erally regarded  as  superior  to  our  own.  The  hides  are 
more  carefully  worked  and  cleansed  there  than  by  our 
tanners,  and  more  time  is  taken  to  perfect  the  change. 

Gove,  W.  &  M.  Black,  Jr.,  Caleb  L.  Frost.  James  M.  Munroe,  L.  &  W.  S. 
Belcher,  Geo.  L.  Thayer,  Daniel  John.son,  Boardman  &  Goiikl,  I.  H. 
Putnam,  Putnam  &  Fellows,  Poland  &  Connors,  W.  H.  Sargent,  Boston 
Japan  Leather  Co.,  S.  Case  &  Sons,  John  Huse,  Josiah  Brackett,  and 
Benjamin  Goodrido'e. 

From  1846  to  1848,  he  bought  of  Pre'ston  256  barrels  of  shoe  pegs 
at  $3  per  barrel,  which  were  shipped  to  Manchester  in  the  ship 
"Sunbeam"  and  other  vessels. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  133 

From  one  to  one  and  a  half  years  to  double  that  time 
is  thought  requisite  to  produce  a  good  article.  Particu- 
lar care  is  taken  with  upper  leather  to  insure  a  smooth 
and  even  grain  and  give  it  a  handsome  color.  English 
sole  leather  is  so  well  impregnated  with  bark  as  to  be 
nearly  impervious  to  water,  while  ours  absorbs  water 
freely.  Yet  it  is  said  that  American  leather  is  more 
durable  than  English,  although  it  may  not  do  so  good 
service  while  it  lasts." 

Lexington  Memorial  Erected. — Sixty  years  after 
the  Battle  of  Lexington,  Danvers  erected  a  monument 
(1835)  to  the  memory  of  her  young  men  who  were 
killed  on  that  memorable  day.  The  occasion  was  made 
one  of  great  interest,  especially  from  the  fact  that  nine- 
teen survivors  of  the  Revolutionary  War  were  present 
and  took  part  in  the  exercises.  Twelve  of  these  were 
from  Danvers:  Gen.  Gideon  Foster,  Sylvester  Osborn, 
Johnson  Proctor,  Levi  Preston,  Asa  Tapley,  Rogers 
Nourse,  Joseph  Shaw,  John  Joscelyn,  Ephraim  Smith, 
Jonathan  Porter,  Joseph  Tufts,  William  Flint. 

The  shaft  stands  at  the  junction  of  Main  and  Wash- 
ington streets,  in  what  is  now  Peabody.  On  one  side  are 
the  names  of  the  slain,  followed  by  the  words :  Dulce  et 
decorum  est  pro  patria  mori  ("It  is  sweet  and  glorious 
to  die  for  one's  country" ) .  On  the  reverse  side,  "Erected 
by  the  Citizens  of  Danvers  on  the  60th  Anniversary, 
1835."    The  cost  of  the  monument  was  $1,000. 

First  Postoffice  Established. — The  organization 
of  the  Village  Bank  and  the  growing  manufacturing 
interests  at  Danvers  Plains  resulted  in  the  establish- 
ment of  this  section  of  the  town  as  the  business  center. 
New  Mills  falling  back  to  second  place.  There  was,  of 
course,  immediate  demand  for  a  postoffice,^  all  Danvers 

1  See  "History  of  the  Danvers  Postoffice,"  by  Charles  Newhall,  in 
Danvers  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  7. 


134  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

mail  previous  to  this  time  having  been  received  at  the 
Salem  office.  After  several  years  of  agitation  the  North 
Dan  vers  postoffice  was  opened  in  1837,  with  William 
Wallis  as  the  first  postmaster,  followed  in  a  few  months 
by  Thomas  M.  Bowen.  Later  postmasters  have  been: 
Levi  Merrill,  1846-1852;  Daniel  Emerson,  1852-1853; 
Levi  Merrill,  1853-1861;  Sylvanus  Shattuck,  1861- 
1865;  Joseph  E.  Hood,  1865-1886;  Charles  N.  Perley, 
1886-1890;  Capt.  G.  W.  Kenney,  1890-1891;  Mrs.  Ger- 
trude S.  Kenney,  1891-1896;  Charles  N.  Perley,  1896- 
1900;  Charles  Newhall,  1900-1916;  R.  T.  Fennessey, 
1916-1922;  Maj.  F.  C.  Damon,  1922. 

In  1844  the  New  Mills  postoffice  was  established, 
Henry  Potter  being  appointed  postmaster.  Later 
postmasters  have  been:  William  Alley,  1849-1852; 
James  M.  Trow,  1852-1853;  David  Mead,  1853-1886; 
Henry  Warren,  1886-1887;  Anna  E.  Manassa,  1887- 
1889;  John  P.  Withey,  1889-1893;  T.  J.  Gallivan, 
1893-1897;  J.  W.  Mead,  1897-1900. 

The  residents  of  Danvers  Highlands  and  Tapleyville 
were  given  the  privilege  of  a  local  office  in  1849,  with 
George  W.  French  as  postmaster,  which  later  was  re- 
moved to  Centre  street.  Later  postmasters  have  been: 
Henry  Prentiss,  1855-1865;  Albert  H.  Mudge,  1865- 
1869;  F.  A.  Wilkins,  1869-1895;  G.  C.  Clancy,  1895- 
1900. 

N.  P.  Merriam  was  appointed  postmaster  of  the 
Tapleyville  section  in  1872.  Other  postmasters  have 
been:  Daniel  Fuller,  1885-1887;  Norris  S.  Bean,  1887- 
1891;  Archie  W.  Sillars,  1891-1894;  John  A.  Logan, 
1894-1898;  A.  W.  Sillars,  1898-1900. 

The  Hathorne  office  was  the  result  of  the  building  ot 
the  State  Hospital,  and  was  opened  in  1878,  with 
Samuel  S.  Pratt  in  charge.  Other  postmasters  have 
been:  G.  W.  Dudley,  1878-1880;  J.  W.  Pierce,  1880- 


THE  OLI)  TOWN  OF  DANAT:RS  135 

1801 ;  Andrew  Xichols,  Jr.,  1891-1893;  Mary  E.  Hines, 
1893-1899;  Joshua  Nichols,  1899-1913;  C.  F.  Skill- 
ings,  1913-1921;  Dennis  M.  Kelley,  1922. 

Early  Days  of  Tapleyville;  The  Carpet  Busi- 
ness.— Up  to  the  time  of  the  eighteen-thirties  that  por- 
tion of  Danvers  known  as  "the  Village,"  and  more 
recently  as  Tapleyville,  was  owned  by  a  few  families 
and  dotted  with  farmhouses  separated  b}^  acres  of 
highly  cultivated  land.  Eighty  years  ago  there  were 
but  five  houses  there,  tlie  Tapley  house  on  Pine  street, 
opposite  Hyde,  the  Nurse  house,  the  Tarbell  house, 
the  old  Tapley  homestead  on  Hyde  street,  and  the 
Perley  Tapley  house,  corner  of  Holten  and  Pine  streets, 
of  which  the  first  two  and  last  mentioned  are  stand- 
ing. Roughly  speaking,  Tapley^dlle  comprises  the  area 
described  by  a  circle,  using  the  Tapley  school  as  a 
pivotal  point,  and  extending  on  the  east  to  Putnam's 
pond,  on  the  south  to  Sylvan  street,  on  the  west 
to  Collins  and  Centre  streets,  and  on  the  north  to  PIo- 
bart  street.  Danvers  Highlands  had  settled  down  with 
the  complacency  of  old  age,  content  to  be  a  populous 
farming  community.  But  Tapleyville  was  destined  to 
wake  up.  The  Tapleys  have  been  a  numerous  family 
in  the  vicinity  of  Salem  since  1660,  when  the  emigrant 
Gilbert  Tapley  came  from  Marldon,  Devon,  England, 
and  settled  at  Salem  Neck.  In  the  middle  of  the  18th 
century,  another  Gilbert,  a  great-grandson  of  the  emi- 
grant, by  alliance  in  marriage  with  the  Putnam  family, 
came  to  the  old  Salem  Village  part  of  Danvers  and 
bought  a  farm,  which  has  been  known  in  later  years  as 
the  James  Goodale  estate  at  the  Highlands.  Gradually 
acquiring  more  propertj^  he  became  one  of  the  largest 
landowners  of  this  section,  and  was  the  progenitor  of 
all  the  Danvers  and  many  of  the  Lynn  families  of  the 
name.    Of  his  four  sons,  Asa  became  the  possessor  of 


13G  CHKONICLES  OF  DANA^RS 

much  of  the  land  south  of  the  Nurse  house,  between 
Pine  and  ColHns  streets  and  crossing  Sylvan  street  to 
the  Endicott  farm  on  Endicott  street,  and  by  marriage 
with  Elizabeth  Smith  further  added  to  his  estate  the 
land  to  the  west  as  far  as  the  Andover  turnpike. 

In  1843  Perley  Tapley  moved  a  building  in  which 
Mathew  Hooper  had  manufactured  boxes  near  Felton's 
corner  to  the  brook  at  Hadlock's  bridge,  near  the  pres- 
ent Tapleyville  railroad  station.  This,  in  itself,  was 
not  so  remarkable  a  feat,  for  he  had  doubtless  moved 
other  buildings  before.  He  certainly  did  move  many 
afterwards,  as  anyone  who  lived  eighty  j^ears  ago  could 
testify.  But  that  particular  move  is  worth  recording, 
because  it  marks  precisely  the  psychological  moment 
when  Tapleyville,  or  the  "Village,"  awoke.  Here 
Perley  and  his  brother  Gilbert  embarked  in  the  carpet 
business.  The  latter  had  been  engaged  in  the  shoe 
business  for  many  years,  in  a  shop  which  was  connected 
with  his  house  on  Pine  street.  The  carpet  business  was 
a  new  enterprise  for  Danvers,  and  in  order  to  carry  it 
on  successfully  skilled  labor  had  to  be  obtained  from 
outside.  Connecticut  factory  towns  at  first  contributed 
a  few  weavers,  but  it  was  not  long  before  many  families 
from  England  and  Scotland  began  to  come  in  consider- 
able numbers,  until  it  became  a  problem  to  house  them 
within  the  confines  of  the  "Village."  Then  it  was  that 
Perley  Tapley's  skill  as  mover  of  buildings  was  used 
to  advantage.  Houses  from  far  and  near  began  to  roll 
toward  Tapleyville.  Buildings  of  all  descriptions  were 
moved  and  converted  into  dwellings,  until  Holten  street 
was  a  motley  collection  of  houses  made  from  anything 
from  a  church  steeple  to  a  schoolhouse.  The  church 
steeple  was  used  as  a  shed  in  the  rear  of  a  Holten 
street  house.  The  schoolhouse,  moved  from  Putnam- 
ville,   was   torn   down   when   the   Tapley    School   was 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 


THE  OID  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  137 

built.  Thus  the  "Village"  grew  in  size  and  importance, 
but  not  without  many  a  friendly  jibe  upon  the  apparent 
lack  of  "city  planning." 

A  humorous  squib  in  the  Danvers  Eagle,  October  30, 
1844,  which  was  concocted  on  one  of  those  trips  that 
leading  South  Parish  men  used  to  make  to  the  North 
Parish  to  hear  Dr.  Braman  preach  Fast  Day  and 
Thanksgiving  sermons,  appeared  under  the  heading, 
"Taplejwille  in  1844."     It  said: 

"This  celebrated  city  is  now  in  a  state  of  unexampled 
prosperity.  We  are  aware  that,  owing  to  the  defects 
of  modern  geography,  it  is  not  to  be  found  on  the  maps. 
But  we  know  that  the  city  exists,  as  we  have  been  there 
and  seen  its  mayor  and  its  corporation.  It  is  situated 
on  one  of  those  numerous  streams  that  empty  into  the 
Atlantic  ocean,  and  contains  as  large  a  population  as 
its  buildings  will  conveniently  accommodate. 

"There  is  one  peculiarity  which,  we  believe,  is  not 
common  to  any  other  place.  By  the  city  regulations 
it  is  provided  that  no  house  or  other  building  shall  be 
erected  within  its  territory,  and  the  city  is  entirely  com- 
posed of  buildings  which  have  been  moved  into  it,  and 
by  these  means  it  is  constantly  increasing.  Nothing  is 
more  common  than  to  see  houses  of  all  sizes  and  shapes 
and  of  every  quaint  style  of  architecture  traveling  into 
the  place  and  seating  themselves  down  in  some  comfort- 
able situation,  to  rest  just  so  long  as  the  mayor  will 
allow  them  to  remain.  We  have  never  yet  ventured  to 
spend  a  night  in  the  city;  we  know  so  well  the  migra- 
tory character  of  its  buildings  that  we  should  expect 
to  find  ourselves  next  morning — house  and  all — moving 
off  on  wheels,  drawn  by  40-ox  power.  We  had  the 
curiosity  to  look  into  the  city  hall  when  the  council  was 
not  in  session,  and  found  it  ornamented  with  various 
agricultural  implements.     Like  the  rest  of  the  city  it 


138  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

looked  like  a  travelling  concern  and  was  built  of  rough 
slabs.  We  understand  that  it  once  took  a  tour  of  obser- 
vation through  Salem,  and  afterward  returned  to  its 
native  place." 

The  "mayor"  was,  of  course,  Perley  Tapley,  and  the 
building  last  referred  to  was  the  famous  "log  cabin" 
which  had  been  conspicuous  in  the  Harrison  campaigji 
procession  in  Salem.  Rev.  Dr.  Alfred  P.  Putnam,  in 
reminiscences  written  several  years  ago,  says:  "The  log 
cabin  was  hauled  all  the  way  to  Salem  amidst  the  ut- 
most enthusiasm.  Suspended  upon  or  set  against  the 
sides  were  coon  skins,  hard  cider  barrels,  and  a  variety 
of  rude  or  simple  articles  of  furniture  or  husbandry, 
all  of  which  were  generally  among  the  peculiar  accom- 
paniments of  such  occasions  in  that  never-to-be-forgot- 
ten campaign.  On  a  balcony  stood  a  company  of  sing- 
ers, who,  all  along  the  route,  amused  and  delighted  the 
moving  throng,  or  the  farmers  and  villagers  who  came 
out  from  their  houses  to  hear  the  spirited  and  frequently 
humorous  pieces  which  rhj^msters  had  ground  out  so 
plentifully  for  the  popular  ear.  Much  accustomed  to 
moving  buildings,  a  man  of  great  force  and  energy, 
always  prone  to  brisk  physical  activity,  and  favored 
with  a  stentorian  voice,  Perley  Tapley  was  well  fitted 
to  make  such  a  migratory  scene  as  this  as  lively  as  pos- 
sible. On  that  Independence  day  he  was  here,  there 
and  everywhere.  His  was  the  voice  that  arose  above 
all  the  Babel  noises  of  the  hour;  and  on  sped  the  rustic 
habitation  with  its  attendant  carriages,  quadrupeds,  bi- 
peds and  all,  until  it  entered  Salem,  threaded  its  way 
through  the  streets,  and  finally  reached  and  invaded 
the  crowded  common  amidst  circumstances  that  beggar 
all  description.  There  never  was  such  a  stir,  such  com- 
motion, such  fun,  such  cheering,  such  enthusiasm.  We 
lads  eagerly  saw  and  enjoyed  it  all  from  beginning  to 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  139^ 

end,  now  running  alono'side  the  oxen  or  the  cabin,  again 
advancing  to  the  front  or  falhng  behind,  then  jumping 
aboard  and  thrusting  ourselves  in  among  the  musicians, 
and  in  manifold  ways  showing  how  much  we  shared 
with  Mr.  Tapley  himself,  the  responsibility  of  that  cele- 
bration by  Danvers  of  the  Fourth  of  July,  1840."  The 
cabin  was  built  by  W.  J.  C.  Kenney  and  Simeon  Put- 
nam of  Danvers,  who  were  well-known  carpenters  of 
that  time,  and  people  gazed  in  admiration  at  Mr.  Tap- 
ley's  skill  in  managing  the  forty  yoke  of  oxen,  especi- 
ally in  turning  corners.  The  throng  on  Salem  Common 
was  addressed  by  Daniel  Webster,  who  made  one  of  his 
famous,  able  and  eloquent  speeches  upon  the  political 
situation  of  the  time. 

Rev.  O.  S.  Butler  of  Georgetown,  in  referring  to  the 
humorous  article  quoted,  in  which  the  new  settlement 
at  Tapleyville  was  so  ingeniously  ridiculed,  says: 

"I  remember  what  a  commotion  the  article  produced 
among  the  inhabitants  of  that  enterprising  village. 
Perley  Tapley  was  highly  incensed,  and  justly  so. 
Gilbert  Tapley,  the  other  owner  of  the  factory,  said  it 
was  beneath  the  notice  of  a  dog.  But  the  authorship 
of  that  light  artillery  was  never  known,  though  diligent 
search  was  made  in  and  about  several  departments  of 
the  Eagle  office.  In  those  early  days  it  was  the  custom 
of  a  few  citizens  of  South  Danvers  to  visit  the  suburbs 
of  the  village  once  a  year  to  listen  to  a  sermon  from 
Rev.  Milton  P.  Braman,  who  always  made  a  special 
effort  to  give  his  hearers  the  results  of  his  reflections 
and  convictions  during  the  year,  on  the  state  of  the 
community  in  general  and  its  political  aspects  in  par- 
ticular. In  the  spring  of  '44,  a  party  of  gentlemen, 
consisting  of  Fitch  Poole,  Jacob  Perley,  Isaac  Hardy, 
A.  P.  Phillips,  John  Peabody,  and  a  boy,  were  passing 
through  the  village  of  Tapleyville  on  their  way  to  the 


140  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

church.  They  discovered  two  or  three  buildings  on 
wheels,  or  in  process  of  moving.  Then  and  there  a  dis- 
cussion arose  as  to  whether  those  buildings  were  the 
same  as  we  saw  the  year  before  or  a  new  installment. 
Young  Damon  said  they  were  the  same;  Fitch  Poole 
said  no,  but  that  Mr.  Tapley  had  moved  one  building 
a  day  on  the  average  for  several  years.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  the  little  squib  was  born  in  that  old  coach, 
but  who  gave  it  bodily  form,  I  never  shall  tell.  But  1 
remember  that  at  the  next  town  meeting,  which  was 
held  in  old  Union  hall,  under  the  Universalist  church, 
South  Danvers,  Mr.  Winthrop  Andrews  made  quite  a 
point  of  the  little  fling  at  Tapleyville,  as  he  was  advo- 
cating the  improvement  of  the  road  from  the  Plains 
to  Tapleyville." 

During  its  first  year  of  business  the  carpet  factory 
was  burned,  but  another  was  immediately  erected.  The 
Danvers  Courier,  June  14,  1845,  says  that  on  June  13, 
at  half  past  twelve  in  the  afternoon,  the  fire  was  dis- 
covered in  Wyatt  B.  Woodman's  box  mill  connected 
with  the  carpet  factory,  both  of  which  were  totally 
destroyed.  It  started  in  a  pile  of  shavings  while  the 
men  were  absent  at  dinner.  David  Henderson  was  the 
owner  of  the  machinery  and  stock  of  the  factory.  "The 
fire  spread  so  rapidly  that  the  Company  connected  with 
the  engine  belonging  to  Tapleyville  were  obliged  to 
abandon  it,  and  it  was  nearly  destroyed.  The  firewards 
immediately  ordered  the  Niagara  engine  to  be  removed 
to  Tapleyville  to  take  its  place.  Nothing  is  known  of 
the  origin  of  the  fire,  but  it  is  generally  supposed  to  be 
the  work  of  an  incendiary." 

It  is  probable  that  the  Tapleys  owned  the  factory 
itself  and  at  that  time  had  no  interest  in  the  business, 
but  after  the  fire  they  took  over  the  business  and  erected 
immediately  another  building   182  by  30  feet.     This 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN  VERS  141 

factory  was  operated  by  a  25-horse-power  engine,  had 
about  30  looms  in  use,  employed  60  hands,  used  about 
100,000  pounds  of  wool  annually,  and  wove  about 
60,000  yards  of  carpeting  each  year,  as  Hanson  tells  us 
in  his  history  printed  in  1848.  From  1847  to  1866  the 
owners  were  Gilbert  Tapley  and  his  son,  the  product 
being  ingrain  and  stair  carpets,  later  making  ingrain 
only.  The  Salem  Gazette  of  Dec.  18,  1860,  says  that 
50  looms  were  then  in  operation  and  there  were  em- 
ployed 100  men  and  50  women,  200,000  pounds  of  wool 
were  used,  and  100,000  yards  of  carpeting  were  turned 
out  annually.  In  February,  1865,  the  Danvers  Carpet 
Company  was  formed,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000,  Gil- 
bert Tapley,  president,  the  principal  owners  being  resi- 
dents of  Newburyport.  In  May,  1875,  it  changed  hands 
again  and  became  the  Eagle  Carpet  Company,  employ- 
ing 100  hands  and  producing  annually  150,000  yards 
of  woolen  ingrain  carpet,  valued  at  $175,000.  Gilbert 
Augustus  Tapley,  son  of  the  original  owner,  was  the 
treasurer  and  agent,  and  he  continued  to  manage  it 
until  the  business  was  discontinued  about  1880.  The 
factory  was  then  converted  into  a  morocco  factory  and 
later  occupied  by  Knapp  and  Downing.  It  was  burned 
in  1910. 

It  has  been  said  that  fourteen  of  the  Scotch  carpet 
weavers  and  twenty  of  their  sons  were  veterans  of  the 
Civil  war,  seven  of  whom  became  commissioned  officers, 
and  the  same  loyalty  to  the  Union  might  also  be  re- 
corded of  the  English,  of  whom  there  were  fully  as 
many  in  the  service.  Upon  the  decline  of  the  carpet 
business,  the  shoe  business  was  established,  which  for 
many  years  has  been  the  principal  industry  in  Tapley- 
ville.  Nathaniel  P.  Merriam  was  another  who  was  iden- 
tified with  the  growth  of  this  village,  maintaining  a 


142  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

country  store  at  the  corner  of  Holten  and  Pine  streets 
for  nearly  forty  years. 

Col.  Gilbert  Tapley  was  the  son  of  Asa  and  Eliza- 
beth (Smith)  Tapley,  and  was  born  April  30,  1793. 
He  was  one  of  six  brothers,  Daniel,  Asa,  Nathan,  Perley 
and  Jesse,  who  inherited  good  estates  in  this  section  of 
the  town.  In  early  life  he  manufactured  shoes,  and 
during  the  war  of  1812  he,  in  common  with  others,  took 
the  manufactured  product  to  Baltimore  and  other  cities 
with  teams  of  horses.  This  was  in  the  time  of  the 
embargo,  when  the  coastwise  trade  in  vessels  was  inter- 
rupted. In  the  fall  of  1813  he  reached  Baltimore,  after 
many  weeks  of  hard  travelling,  and  foimd  that  the 
English  were  about  to  bombard  the  place.  Here  he 
was  pressed  into  the  service  by  an  artillery  company,  to 
convey  them  to  the  point  where  the  enemy  was  to  land. 
Colonel  Tapley  was  successful  in  his  business  ventures 
and  became  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  town.  He 
was  always  active  in  the  First  Church,  serving  on  im- 
portant committees,  and  when  the  Methodist  Church 
was  built  gave  generously  to  the  building  fund,  his  son, 
Gilbert  A.  Tapley,  also  contributing  the  lot  on  which 
the  church  stands.  He  served  as  moderator,  assessor 
and  on  the  school  committee,  was  a  trustee  of  Walnut 
Grove  cemetery,  director  of  the  Warren  Bank  of  South 
Danvers  and  president  of  the  Danvers  Savings  Bank. 
He  was  a  prime  mover  in  obtaining  the  Danvers  and 
Georgetown  Railroad,  now  the  Western  Division  line 
from  Newburyport  to  Boston.  He  was  an  ardent  and 
efficient  worker  in  the  temperance  cause,  and  was  iden- 
tified with  all  good  works  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
on  Octobers,  1878. 

"Neck  of  Land"  No  Longer  a  Separate  District. 
— The  other  sections  of  the  town  had  become  prosperous 
villages  since  "The  Neck  of  Land"  was  incorporated 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  143 

in  1772,  and  the  road  to  Salem,  which  had  caused  so 
much  controversy  in  the  early  days,  was  a  necessity,  not 
only  to  the  residents  of  New  JNlills,  but  to  the  people  of 
the  whole  town.  Consequently  New  Mills  began  to 
regard  it  as  no  more  than  just  that  it  should  now  be 
relieved  of  tlie  burden  of  supporting  the  highways,  which 
it  had  faithfully  done  for  the  past  seventy  years.  As  the 
town  of  Danvers  did  not  object,  the  act  of  incorporation 
was  repealed  in  1840,  since  which  time  the  roads  at 
Danversport  have  been  included  in  the  town's  appro- 
priation for  highways. 

Walnut  Geove  Cemetery  Corporation. — This 
cemetery,  which  was  originally  the  grove  and  adjacent 
lands  of  Judge  Samuel  Putnam,  was  consecrated  in 
1844,  and  comprises  about  21  acres.  Generally  speak- 
ing, the  formation  of  the  older  portion  is  that  of  the 
hillsides,  gently  sloping  to  meet  in  a  central  valley, 
watered  by  brooks  and  adorned  with  a  natural  growth 
of  trees.  The  grounds  have  practically  the  same  front- 
age on  each  of  three  streets,  Sylvan,  Ash  and  Adams 
streets.  The  large  tract  upon  the  Ash  street  side  is 
practically  level,  and,  like  the  top  of  the  hill  on  the 
Adams  street  front,  is  unshaded.  Thus,  by  combination 
and  contrast,  the  rich  foliage  of  the  grove  and  verdure 
of  the  lawns  which  lie  open  to  the  sun,  contributes  each 
to  the  beauty  of  the  other.  Adding  to  the  natural  fea- 
tures of  the  landscape,  the  work  that  is  constantly  being 
done  in  the  care  of  the  grounds,  the  Walnut  Grove 
cemetery  is  itself  the  best  monument  to  those  men  in 
whose  wisdom  and  energy  it  had  its  origin,  and  is  most 
worthy  of  the  pride  so  generally  felt  in  it. 

The  presidents  of  the  corporation  have  been:  Hon. 
Ehas  Putnam,  1843-1844;  Samuel  Preston,  1844; 
Samuel  P.  Fowler,  1845-1886;  Dr.  W.  W.  Eaton,  1887- 


144  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

1910;  George  W.  Fiske,  1910-1912;  Lester  S.  Couch, 
1912. 

Other  Cemeteries. — It  is  doubtful  if  there  is  an- 
other town  in  New  England  which  has  within  its  pre- 
cincts as  many  cemeteries,  public  and  private,  as  old 
Danvers,  including  Peabody,  no  les^  than  53  being 
located  when  the  vital  records  of  the  town  were  pub- 
lished in  1910.  In  the  early  days  there  were  little  plots 
set  aside  on  nearly  all  the  farms  for  burial  purposes; 
then  later  neighborhood  grounds  were  laid  out,  which 
were  the  forerunners  of  the  large  tracts  given  up  to  this 
purpose  today.  Wadsworth  cemetery  on  Summer 
street  was  one  of  the  earliest,  controlled  by  the  First 
Church,  and  now  cared  for  by  an  association.  High 
Street  cemetery  was  in  early  use,  several  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary soldiers  having  been  buried  there,  but  in  1805, 
Colonel  Page,  whose  land  it  was,  "for  ten  cents"  con- 
veyed the  plot  to  Israel  Hutchinson,  Jr.,  Thomas  Put- 
nam and  Caleb  Oakes,  who  were  to  "forever  permit  the 
Inhabitants  of  that  part  of  Danvers  called  the  Neck 
and  all  other  persons  who  have  been  so  accustomed,  to 
occupjT^  the  same  land  as  a  Burying  Ground  .  .  .  keep- 
ing always  the  same  ground  inclosed  with  a  decent  fence 
not  less  than  five  feet  high  at  their  own  charge."  Other 
grounds^  in  the  present  town  of  Danvers  are  the  Nurse^ 
Endicott,  Preston,  Prince,  Putnam  at  Hathorne, 
Russell,  Ilolten,  Putnam,  rear  the  "Lindens,"  Jacobs, 
Hutchinson,  Tapley  and  Preston,  Putnam  at  Putnam- 
ville,  Swinerton,  Goodale  and  Pope. 

Irish  Settlers. — From  the  first  settlement  of  the 
town  there  have  been  scattering  Irish  families  through- 
out the  territory  of  Danvers.  As  early  as  the 
time  of  the  witchcraft  delusion   (1692)   down  through 

1  See  Danvers  Vital  Records,  page  3. 


z  '^ 


S  s 


2;  '5 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN  VERS  145 

the  French  and  Indian  wars  and  the  Revolution,  names 
of  people  of  Irish  birth  are  found  on  the  records.  It 
was  not,  however,  until  1842  that  the  settlement  of 
Irish  emigrants  commenced.^  Probably  the  first  at  the 
Plains  was  Cornelius  Ryan,  who  came  to  town  in  1844 
to  work  for  the  masons  who  were  constructing  Elias 
Putnam's  shoe  factory,  now  a  portion  of  the  Curtis 
block  on  High  street.  He  did  not  remain  long,  but 
returned  to  Salem.  Nearly  all  the  emigrants  of  the 
first  years  "worked  out"  for  the  farmers  of  the  town, 
the  men  often  helping  in  the  fields  while  their  wives 
assisted  in  the  household  affairs;  but  as  soon  as  they 
prospered  they  established  little  homes  of  their  own. 
The  building  of  the  Essex  Railroad  (1848)  was  the 
means  of  bringing  many  more  Irish  families  to  town, 
who,  after  the  road  was  completed  through  Danvers, 
remained  here  and  found  other  occupations,  in  the  shoe 
shops,  the  brickyards,  morocco  factories,  or  on  farms. 
Many  at  a  later  date  bought  land  and  built  houses  in 
the  vicinity  of  Hobart  street.  This  land  belonged  for 
the  most  part  to  Capt.  Andrew  M.  Putnam,  whose 
advice  and  assistance  are  gratefully  remembered  today. 
These  families  have,  in  general,  been  thrifty  and  law- 
abiding  citizens,  and  many  of  the  second  and  third  gen- 
erations are  now  prosperous,  represented  in  many  trades 
and  professions,  interested  in  the  progress  of  education, 
ready  to  assist  in  all  philanthropic  movements,  loyal  to 
the  town  of  their  birth  and  to  the  country  which  has 
given  them  the  opportunity  of  success. 

Maple  Street  Church  Organized. — With  the  in- 
creased growth  of  the  Plains,  the  question  of  a  church 
began  to  be  agitated.  The  long  distance  to  the  First 
Church  was  one  of  the  reasons  for  the  establishment  of 

1  The  first  to  pay  taxes  in  Danvers  were  Patrick  Agan  and  Joliix 
Kain,  in  1842,    Daniel  Crowley  followed  in  1843. 


146  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN^^RS 

the  Maple  Street  church  (1844).  For  a  time  neigh- 
borhood meetings  were  held  at  the  residence  of  John  A. 
Learoyd,  opposite  Maple  Street  church,  and,  in  fact, 
the  new  society  was  practically  formed  in  the  parlor  of 
this  house.  The  church  edifice,  which  was  erected  soon 
after,  was  burned  (1850),  the  present  building  taking 
its  place.  The  annual  town  meetings  were  held  for 
several  years  in  the  first  edifice,  or  until  the  Town  Hall 
was  erected. 

The  ministers  of  this  church  have  been:  Rev.  Richard 
Tolman,  1846-1849;  Rev.  James  Fletcher,  1849-1864; 
Rev.  WiUiam  Carruthers,  1866-1868;  Rev.  James 
Brand,  1869-1873;  Rev.  W.  E.  C.  Wright,  1875-1882; 
Rev.  E.  C.  Ewing,  1882-1899;  Rev.  C.  J.  Hawkins, 
1900-1902;  Rev.  Robert  A.  MacFadden,  1902-1909; 
Rev.  M.  A.  Shafer,  1910-1913;  Rev.  Dr.  F.  W.  Mer- 
rick, 1915-1921 ;  Rev.  Leon  E.  Grubaugh,  1922. 

Samuel  P.  Fowler  was  one  of  the  first  deacons  of  this 
church.  He  was  born  at  New  Mills,  April  22,  1800, 
and  early  developed  a  desire  for  reading  and  a  taste  for 
natural  history.  He  manifested  a  deep  interest  in  church 
and  town  affairs,  serving  in  various  offices,  representing 
the  town  in  the  Legislature,  and  holding  the  position 
of  overseer  of  the  poor  for  forty-five  years.  His  wife 
was  Harriet,  daughter  of  Moses  Putnam  of  Putnam- 
ville.  He  was  famous  as  a  botanist  and  contributed 
articles  to  many  papers  and  magazines  on  this  subject, 
his  beautiful  garden  on  Cherry  street  attesting  his  great 
love  of  flowers.  Fond  of  historical  research,  his  equal 
in  knowledge  of  local  history  could  not  be  found,  and 
upon  this  subject,  too,  his  pen  was  often  used.  A  cor- 
porator of  the  Danvers  Savings  Bank,  a  director  of  the 
Danvers  National  Bank,  a  life  trustee  of  Peabody  In- 
stitute, a  publisher  of  several  valuable  books  and  pam- 
phlets, a  temperance  worker,  president  of  Walnut  Grove 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  147 

Cemetery  Corporation,  honored  and  respected  by  his 
townspeople  and  the  country  at  large,  he  passed  away 
in  December,  1888,  at  the  age  of  89  years.  His  large 
collection  of  valuable  historical  manuscripts  and  relics 
were,  after  his  death,  presented  to  the  Essex  Institute. 

ABOLITION;  EXPORT  OF  ICE;  MODES  OF 
TRAVEL;   MEXICAN  WAR. 

Feeling  Against  Slavery;  The  Abolitionists. — 
There  was  a  constantly  growing  feeling  in  the  North 
in  opposition  to  slave-holding.  There  were  many  Abo- 
litionists at  New  Mills,  who  held  that  the  business  of 
buying  and  selling  negroes  was  not  in  accordance  with 
the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  which  declares 
that  all  men  are  born  free  and  equal.  At  first  their  lot 
was  not  a  happy  one.  They  were  very  outspoken  on 
the  subject  of  slavery,  and  their  candor  incensed  a  great 
many,  their  enthusiasm  in  the  cause  of  the  slave  often 
overpowering  their  better  judgment,  but  their  earnest- 
ness was  never  doubted.  Meetings  were  held  as  early 
as  1834.  A  club  was  formed  in  1838,  called  "The  Young 
Men's  Anti-Slavery  Society,"  and  the  cause  of  the  slave 
was  eloquently  pleaded,  not  only  by  local  orators  but 
by  some  of  the  most  noted  Abolitionists  in  the  country. 
In  1842,  the  controversy  had  reached  fever  heat.  Those 
who  did  not  profess  to  follow  the  doctrines  of  Garrison 
or  enter  into  the  then  unpopular  movement,  were  de- 
nounced by  the  anti-slavery  supporters  as  false  to  the 
principles  upon  which  the  country  was  founded,  and  as 
lacking  Christianity.  So  far  did  their  enthusiasm  carry 
them  that  the  society  of  Abolitionists  at  New  Mills 
declared  that  it  was  "inconsistent  and  unbecoming"  for 
them  to  celebrate  the  Fourth  of  July  because  there  were 
so  many  slaves  in  bondage  in  this  free  country.     The 


148  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

churches,  because  they  did  not  at  once  champion  the 
Abolitionists'  cause,  were  derisively  called  "the  strong- 
holds of  slavery,"  and  upon  them  the  storm  broke.  Two 
of  the  churches  refused  to  open  their  doors  to  the  meet- 
ings of  the  Abolitionists.  This  was  the  occasion  of  new 
charges  and  complaints.  Feeling  between  man  and 
man  at  New  Mills  was  wrought  to  a  very  high  pitch. 
The  anti-slavery  supporters,  disappointed  that  the 
churches  did  not  favor  a  discussion  of  the  subject  in 
the  pulpits,  resolved  to  come  out  from  the  congrega- 
tions. This  they  did,  and  from  this  movement  they 
became  known  as  "Come-outers."  "On  one  occasion 
the  minister  at  the  Baptist  church  was  in  the  midst  of 
the  service  when  one  of  the  abolitionists  present  arose 
and  began  an  anti-slavery  appeal.  He  was  temporarily 
choked  off  by  a  hj^mn,  but  as  soon  as  the  music  ceased 
he  was  at  it  again.  Two  men  of  the  congregation,  with 
righteous  indignation  descended  upon  the  intruder  and 
dragged  him  out  of  the  house.  Worship  was  broken 
off.  The  congregation,  or  most  of  them,  were  thor- 
oughly mad.  The  minister  called  for  a  sheriff,  and 
certain  men  jumped  out  of  the  window  to  run  to  the 
Universalist  church  for  an  officer."  Service  was  re- 
sumed, but  in  came  the  same  offender  at  a  side  door  and 
continued  his  disturbance.  Subsequently,  he  and  sev- 
eral other  "Come-outers,"  who  took  his  part,  were  ar- 
rested. But  the  fanaticism  of  the  times  gradually  gave 
way  to  saner  action,  and  people  began  to  more  calmly 
consider  the  great  slavery  question.  Their  enthusiasm 
did  not  diminish,  to  be  sure,  but  a  wiser  and  more  sj^s- 
tematic  plan  of  action  resulted  in  the  formation  of  a 
new  political  party — the  Republican — and  ultimately 
in  the  freedom  of  the  slave. 

"One  must  greatly  admire  the  high  moral  standard  of 
these  Abolitionists.     Their  adherence  to  the  cause  was 


THE  OLD  TOAVN  OF  DANVERS  149 

at  great  cost.  Many  of  them  were  church  members, 
long  and  devotedly  attached  to  the  observances  that 
belonged  to  it,  and  they  left  it,  not  because  they  did 
not  believe  in  Christianity,  but  because  of  the  very 
strength  and  sincerity  of  their  faith.  They  were  ridi- 
culed and  anathematized  for  it,  but  here  they  took  their 
stand,  and  practically  illustrated  in  their  character  and 
daily  life  the  principles  they  would  make  the  law  of  the 
land.  They  were  tanners  and  curriers  and  shoemakers 
and  artisans  and  tillers  of  the  soil,  yet  they  were  pos- 
sessed of  a  high  degree  of  intelligence.  The  future  will 
make  small  account  of  anj^  shortcomings  which  men  may 
see  in  the  old  Abolitionists.  It  is  to  their  everlasting 
honor  that,  at  the  time  when  millions  of  our  fellow  crea- 
tures were  groaning  under  insufferable  bondage,  and 
church,  state  and  people  alike  were  deaf  to  their  cries, 
they  were  the  first  to  rouse  the  public  to  a  sense  of  duty 
and  needed  action." 

Among  the  men  and  women  identified  with  the  cause 
in  Danvers  were  Jesse  P.  Harriman,  Richard  Hood, 
John  Hood,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Merrill,  Hathorne 
Porter,  Alfred  R.  Porter,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Cutler, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Endicott,  James  D.  Black, 
William  Francis,  Henry  A.  Potter,  Rev.  Samuel 
Brimblecom,  John  R.  Patten,  William  Alley,  Job 
Tyler,  Hercules  Josselyn,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Abel  Nichols, 
Mrs.  Eben  G.  Berry,  Miss  E.  H.  Hutchinson,  Miss 
Irene  Kent,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Eben  Hunt,  Dr.  Andrew 
Nichols,  Thomas  Bowen,  John  R.  Langley,  Jonathan 
Richardson,  James  F.  Mclntire,  Moses  Black,  Jr., 
Elias  Savage,  John  D.  Andrews,  James  M.  Usher, 
Charles  W.  Page,  John  Hines,  Oliver  C.  Wait,  James 
Kelley,  Archelaus  P.  Black,  Winthrop  Andrews, 
George  Kate,  Joseph  W.  Legro,  Benjamin  Potter, 
Ingalls  K.  Mclntire,  Daniel  Woodbury,  Josiah  Ross, 


150  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

Edward  Stimpson,  Jonathan  Eveleth,  Charles  Benja- 
min, Samuel  P.  Fowler,  Oliver  O.  Brown,  Alexander 
A.  Leavitt,  William  Needham,  Elbridge  G.  Little,  Ira 
P.  Cloiigh,  Abner  S.  Mead,  Joseph  Porter,  Frederick 
Howe,  Col.  Jesse  Putnam,  John  A.  Learoyd,  Peter 
Wait,  Allen  Knight,  Francis  P.  Putnam,  Ehas  E.  Put- 
nam, Alfred  Fellows. 

Dr.  Andrew  Nichols  was  one  of  the  prominent  Abo- 
litionists. He  was  born  in  Danvers,  Nov.  22,  178.5, 
graduated  at  Harvard  Medical  School,  and  practised  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  town  for  nearly  half  a  century. 
He  was  a  noted  botanist  and  agriculturist,  an  ardent 
anti-slavery  and  temperance  man,  a  poet  of  more  than 
local  repute,  an  inventor  of  much  ability,  and  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  Unitarian  church  in  Peabody.  His 
object  was  "to  live  for  man,  to  work  for  humanitj^"  He 
died  March  30,  1853,  beloved  and  lamented  by  all. 

Dr.  Ebenezer  Hunt,  another  Abolitionist,  was  born, 
April  13,  1799,  in  Dracut.  He  graduated  from  Dart- 
mouth College  in  the  Medical  Department  in  1821. 
Soon  after,  he  settled  at  New  Mills,  where  he  practiced 
his  profession  fifty  years.  In  the  temperance  cause  and 
the  anti-slavery  movement  he  was  firm  and  always  had 
the  courage  of  his  convictions.  He  became  associated 
with  John  G.  Whittier  in  the  slavery  cause,  retaining 
the  latter's  friendship  through  life.  At  the  age  of  65 
years  he  enlisted  in  the  Civil  War  as  assistant  surgeon 
of  the  8th  Regiment,  by  which  service  his  health  was 
considerably  impaired.  Dr.  Hunt  was  hospitable,  sim- 
ple in  his  habits,  and  his  worth  as  a  man  and  his  skill 
as  a  physician  were  fully  appreciated  by  all  who  knew 
him. 

Hathorne  Porter  was  another  Abolitionist  who  was 
very  active  during  his  short  life  in  the  cause  of  the  slave. 
He  was  son  of  Aaron  and  Eunice  (Hathorne)  Porter, 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  151 

and  was  born  in  Salem,  but  at  an  early  age  went  to 
Putnamville  to  learn  his  trade  at  the  home  of  his  uncle, 
Zerubbabel  Porter.  Settling  finally  in  Danversport, 
where  he  engaged  in  tanning  and  currying  on  his  own 
account,  he  became  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  anti-slaverv 
movement.  He  was  also  one  of  the  earliest  Univer- 
sahsts.  He  died  in  1845,  at  the  age  of  forty-seven,  and 
thus  did  not  live  to  see  the  result  of  the  good  work  of 
the  party  whose  cause  he  so  ardently  espoused.  He  was 
a  nephew  of  Gen.  Moses  Porter.  His  residence  at 
Danversport  was  the  brick  house  built  by  Nathaniel 
Putnam  in  1805,  near  Creese  &  Cook's  factory,  and 
recently  (1922)  remodelled  into  a  warehouse  by  that 
company. 

Newspapers. — In  the  early  days  Danvers  depended 
upon  Salem  and  Boston  papers  for  the  news,  the  Salem 
Gazette  and  Salem  Register  being  widely  circulated 
here.  In  1845  the  Danvers  Courier  was  established, 
following  the  Danvers  Whig  and  the  Danvers  Eagle, 
two  ephemeral  political  sheets.  It  was  short-lived. 
The  South  Danvers  Wizard  (1859)  became  the  Pea- 
body  Press  in  1869.  The  Danvers  Monitor  was  estab- 
lished in  1865.  All  these  weekly  papers  were  printed 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  town,  now  Peabody.  In 
1871  the  Danvers  Mirror  was  established  as  a  distinctly 
Danvers  paper,  by  H.  C.  Cheever,  who  sold  the  busi- 
ness in  1875  to  Charles  H.  Shepard.  In  1890  Mr. 
Shepard  sold  the  business  to  Frank  E.  Moynahan,  and 
it  is  now  (1923)  conducted  by  his  widow,  Mrs.  Magda- 
lene DeNormandie  Elmcre,  who  has  changed  the  name 
of  the  paper  to  the  Danvers  Herald. 

The  Great  Fire. — Just  as  business  was  beginning 
to  get  a  good  start  at  the  Plains,  everything  was  swept 
away  by  a  great  fire  (1845).  An  old  newspaper  says 
of  it:  "It  broke  out  in  a  small  building  belonging  to  the 


152  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

dwelling  house  of  Joshua  Silvester,  and  was  thought 
to  have  been  occasioned  by  sparks  from  the  pipes  of 
some  of  the  workmen,  a  pile  of  shavings  probably  ignit- 
ing. The  fire  spread  with  great  rapidity  and  seemed 
at  one  time  as  if  beyond  all  human  control.  Eighteen 
buildings  on  either  side  of  Maple  street  were  destroyed. 
There  was  great  scarcity  of  water,  it  being  necessary  to 
connect  eight  engines  to  obtain  a  single  stream  of  water 
upon  the  fire.  The  nearest  body  of  water  was  Frost 
Fish  Brook.  The  alarm  reached  Salem  about  a  quarter 
past  two,  and  several  engines  and  fire  companies  imme- 
diately started,  guided  by  the  direction  of  the  smoke, 
although  it  was  not  then  known  where  the  fire  was  nor 
how  imminent  was  the  danger.  Express  messengers 
arrived  some  time  afterwards  for  assistance,  when  the 
alarm  was  again  sounded,  and  several  more  engines  were 
dispatched,  making  seven  in  all  from  Salem,  preceded, 
accompanied  and  followed  by  great  numbers  of  citizens. 
The  progress  over  the  length  of  dusty  road  was  exceed- 
ingly toilsome,  with  the  almost  vertical  sun  beating  down 
upon  their  unsheltered  heads  at  a  temperature  of  120*^ 
to  130''.  Some  were  very  much  overcome  by  the  expo- 
sure and  fatigue.     The  loss  was  $80,000." 

After  this  conflagration,  building  was  resumed  and 
the  Square  widened,  as  it  appears  today,  the  west  side 
of  Maple  street  up  to  that  time  having  formed  a  junc- 
tion with  Elm  street  at  about  the  location  of  the  present 
drinking  fountain. 

Wenham  Lake  Ice  in  England;  The  Danvers 
Ice  Company. — At  about  this  time  an  important  export 
business,  in  which  Danvers  men  were  concerned,  was 
organized.  It  consisted  of  the  shipment  of  ice^  from 
Wenham  Lake  to  England.    The  enterprise  originated 

1  See  Articles  by  Eev.  A.  P.  Putnam,  D.  D.,  in  "Ice'  and  Refrigera- 
tion." 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN  VERS  153 

with  a  few  Salem  men,  and  in  1846  a  resident  of  Dan- 
vers,  returning  from  a  business  trip  in  England,  having 
noted  the  success  of  the  business  there,  suggested  to 
several  Danvers  men,  including  Henry  T.  Ropes,  Jo- 
seph W.  Ropes,  W.  I^.  Weston  and  Daniel  Richards, 
the  formation  of  a  stock  company  for  the  same  purpose. 
This  was  accordingly  done,  and  Henry  T.  Ropes  was 
delegated  to  go  abroad  and  find  a  suitable  location  for 
the  opening  up  of  the  ice  business.  The  field  was  thor- 
oughly looked  over,  and  it  was  decided  to  buy  out  the 
Salem  company's  Liverpool  trade.  Here  the  Danvers 
Ice  Company  was  established.  The  ice  was  gathered 
at  Wenham  Lake  and  shipped  to  Boston,  where  it  was 
packed  in  sawdust  on  a  large  vessel  for  the  trip  across. 
It  was  genuine  ice  and  of  the  purest  qualitj^  and  was 
something  which  the  English  people  were  to  appreciate 
more  and  more,  slow  as  they  were  to  learn  its  uses 
and  virtues  at  first.  The  ice  proved  a  curiosity  to  the 
people,  and  blocks  of  this  new,  indispensable  crystal 
were  placed  on  exhibition  in  the  windows  of  London 
and  Liverpool.  It  created  much  talk  and  attracted 
public  notice.  The  Queen  and  Royal  Family  set  their 
seal  of  approval  upon  it, — a  sufficient  guarantee  of  a 
great  business.  During  the  first  years,  the  Danvers  men 
did  not  realize  much  from  their  investment,  and  three 
of  them  concluded  to  withdraw,  but  Henry  T.  Ropes 
was  not  to  be  dissuaded,  and,  in  later  years,  he  was  re- 
warded for  his  energy  and  perseverance  by  achieving 
immense  wealth  and  the  well-earned  title  of  "The  Ice 
King." 

As  soon  as  Mr.  Ropes  had  his  business  well  estab- 
lished he  discontinued  the  shipment  of  ice  from  Wen- 
ham  Lake,  receiving  the  larger  part  of  his  supply  from 
Norway,  but  even  at  the  present  time  the  ice-wagons,  it 
is  said,  travel  through  the  streets  of  London  bearing 
the  sign  "Wenham  Lake  Ice."    The  name  and  fame  of 


154  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

our  neighboring  sheet  of  water  became  so  firmly  rooted 
in  the  early  days  of  the  trade  that  it  was  deemed  not 
wise,  from  a  business  standpoint,  to  change  it  when  the 
import  from  Norway  began.  The  business  was  carried 
on  by  Mr.  Ropes'  sons  for  many  years. 

Omnibus  Line  to  Salem. — Up  to  this  time  there 
had  been  no  public  mode  of  conveyance  from  this  town 
to  Salem.  Stage-coaches  from  Haverhill  to  Salem  ran 
inf requentljr ;  people  used  their  own  carriages  or  walked, 
as  the  case  might  be.  In  1842,  a  man  named  Berry 
came  from  the  West  to  Danvers  and  started  an  omnibus 
route,  running  a  few  trips  each  day.  He  sold  out  soon 
to  John  Grout,  who,  in  turn,  about  six  years  later,  sold 
out  to  Samuel  W.  Spaulding.  Parker  Webber  bought 
the  route  in  1865.  A  three-seated  wagon,  which  had 
accommodations  on  top  for  half  a  dozen,  was  the  popu- 
lar vehicle  of  transportation.  The  business  increased 
with  every  year,  and  larger  and  more  commodious 
coaches  were  provided  as  the  traffic  demanded  them. 
Through  heat  and  dust  of  summer  and  the  deep  snows 
of  winter,  blocking  the  roads  nearly  to  the  degree  of 
impassability  at  Gardner's  Hill,  the  old  coaches  made 
their  daily  trips.  Fifteen  cents  for  the  ride  each  way 
was  deemed  none  too  exorbitant  a  price  to  pay.  The 
Danvers  terminus  of  the  line  w^as  the  Square,  and  pas- 
sengers were  content  to  walk  to  their  homes,  being  as 
yet  uneducated  in  the  convenience  of  the  street  car. 
Even  after  the  railroad  came  (1847)  the  equanimity  of 
the  stage  driver  Avas  not  disturbed,  and  he  drove  on 
unmindful  of  his  iron  competitor  and  apparently  suf- 
fering little  financially  from  the  innovation.  Another 
line  from  the  Highlands  through  Peabody  to  Salem  was 
also  established  about  1849. 

The  occupation  of  the  stage  driver  is  gone.  "Never 
again  shall  we  gather  at  the  cottage  gate  as  the  clatter 


IW  k  MIDDLE  ROUTE 


^EJT-V^  £3  lEir^ 


GEORGETOWN,  TOPSFIEU)  AND   DANVERS, 

Connt-eting  at  WEST  I>A>VEIIS  with  Trains  to  and  from  SALE^I. 

Train**  from  BRADF<»KD  and  C^ROTELAIVD  connect  witii  this  line 

at  GEOKGETOn  >  for  BOST<>]\. 


Depot  in  Boston,      -      Boston  and  Maine  Depot,  Haymarket  Square. 

"        Bradford, At  HaverhiU  Bridge. 

"        Newburyport,  -       -       -       -         'West  of  the  TunneL 

FALL  ABBANCEMEHIT. 

01  m  IFTER  MOIDiT.  OCTOBER  23. 1854. 

"M'  cc  .4L  M  im'  s      turn:  j%.  %'  k: 


POB 

I  BOSTON. 

FROM   BOoTON. 

NEWBURYPORT, 

7.45,  11.00  a.m. 

,  1.43,  5.00  P.M. 

BOSTON,       -     - 

S  0-5  A.M. 

12.00  M. 

3.00,  5.30  p.M 

BYFIELD      -    -     - 

7.S7,  11.12 

1.57,  5.12 

W.  DANVERS,  - 

8.45 

I£.35 

3.35,6  08 

HAVER'L  BRIDGE 

7.45,  11. CO 

1.45,  5.00 

1     N.  DANVERS,  - 

8.54 

12.41 

3.44,  6.18 

GROVELA.NU,   -     - 

7.90,  11.03 

1.50,  5  03 

"OPSFIELD,     - 

0.08 

12.38 

3..5S,  0.32 

GEORGETOWN,    - 

8.03,  11.18 

2.03,  5.18 

BO.XFORD,     -     - 

9.18 

1.08 

4.08,  6,39 

BOXFORD,    -     -     - 

8.09,  11.25 

2.09,  5.25 

GEORGETOWN, 

9.25 

1.15 

4.15,  6.46 

TOPSFIELD,      -     - 

8.18,  11.34 

2.18,5  34 

GROVELA.\D,   - 

9.31 

1.21 

4.21,  6.52 

N.  DANVERS,   -     - 

8.33,  11  50 

2.35,  5.5l> 

BYFIELD,      -     - 

9.32 

1.21 

4.21,  6.52 

W.  DA.\  VERS,  -     - 

8.42.  11.58 

2.43,  6.00 

HAVE  BRIDGE, 

9.36 

1.26 

4.26,  6.57 

Arrive  at  BOSTON, 

9.19  12.40 

3.23,  ti.40 

Ar.  atNEWBP'T, 

9.43 

1.33 

4.33,  7.04 

NEWBURYPORT   AIUD    BRADFORD. 

TRAINS  LEAVE  NKWBIRVPOK T  FOR  BRADFORD  at  7.45  and  II.'K)  a.m.,   1.45  ari.l  5.00  p.m.. 
BRADFORD  FOR  NEWBURYPORT  at  8.40  a.m.,  and  1.45,  ?..W  and  6.20  p.m. 
Leaving  NEWBURVPORP  at  7.J5  and  11  00  a.m.,  and  5.00  p.m.,  and    BRADFORD  at  8.40  a.m. 
3.45  and  6.20  p.m.,  connect  with  Trains  on  the  Boston  &  Me.  Railroad  to  and  fron  LAWRENCE,  and  the  West 
and  North  ;   also,  with  Trains  poinj;  East. 

GEORGETOWN  AND  HAVERHILL  BRIDGE. 

TRAINS  have   GEORGETOWN  for  HAVERHILL  BRIDGE  at  8  05,  9.25,   11.18  am.  and  1.15,  2.03,  4.15, 

5.18  and  fi.4(!  p.m. 

Leave  HAVERHILL  BRIDGE  for  GEORGETOWN  at  7.45,  8.25,  11.00  a.m.,  12.5-5,  1.45,  3  50,  5.00,  6  20 p.m. 

33"  Passengers   are  not  allowed  Baggage  above  $50  in  value,  or  80  lbs.  in  weight,  without  extra  charge.      F'or 
furtlier  particulars,  see. Hallway  Guide. 


GEORGETOWN.  OCTOBER  18,  1854. 


C.  S.  TEJ^NEV,  Sup't. 


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FIRST  TIME  TABLE  OF  THE  EASTERN  RAILROAD,  1836. 

Which  served  Residents  of  Danvers  in  the  Trip  from  Salem  to  Boston  until  1848,  when  the 

Essex  Railroad  was  opened. 

From  F.  B.  C.  Bradlee's  "  History  of  the  Eastern  Railroad." 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN^^ERS  155 

of  wheels  and  the  cloud  of  dust  approach,  to  welcome 
the  aged  parent,  the  coining  guest,  the  daughter  home 
from  school.  Famous  levelers  were  the  old  stage 
coaches  and  masters  in  etiquette  also!  What  chance 
medley  of  social  elements  they  brought  about!  What 
jostling  of  ribs  and  elbows,  what  a  test  of  good  nature, 
what  a  tax  on  forbearance !  For  how  else  could  a  dozen 
strangers  consent  to  be  boxed  up  and  shaken  together, 
but  upon  condition  that  each  was  to  exhibit  the  best 
side  of  his  nature,  and  that  only.  To  this  generation 
the  old  stage  coach  is  a  shadowy  and  unreal  thing,  but 
the  memory  of  its  usefulness  will  long  live." 

Opening  of  the  Railroads. — The  matter  of  trans- 
portation facilities  for  the  town  of  Danvers  was  one  of 
the  most  discussed  topics  of  this  period,  and  the  town 
was  divided  into  several  factions,  favoring  as  many 
different  railroad  routes.  There  were  some  who  argued 
like  the  narrow-minded  correspondent  in  the  Salem 
Gazette,  when  the  Eastern  Railroad  was  contemplated, 
"Let  us  construct  our  own  railroads,  north  and  south, 
but,  as  we  hope  to  prosper,  let  us  not  have  one  to  Bos- 
ton!" Even  before  the  Eastern  Railroad  was  built,  and 
when  the  different  routes  were  under  discussion,  there 
was  an  attempt  made  to  survey  a  road  from  Danvers  to 
Boston.^  At  this  time  there  were  two  roads  proposed, 
one  called  the  Eastern,  with  a  terminus  at  East  Boston, 
and  the  other  called  the  Western,  passing  through 
Charlestown  Neck,  West  Lynn,  Danvers,  Salem  and 
Beverly,  with  a  terminus  over  Chelsea  Bridge.  At  the 
annual  meeting  in  Danvers  in  1836,  resolutions  were 
adopted  in  favor  of  the  latter  course,  because  it  avoided 
the  ferry,  and  a  memorial  to  that  effect  was  sent  to  the 
Legislature,  but  the  Eastern  route  was  finally  selected^ 
as  the  most  direct,  cheapest  to  construct,  and  passing 

1  Salem  Gazette,  Ansriist  25  and   28,   1835. 

2  April  11,  1836.  The  Eastern  Eailroad  was  incorporated  April  14, 
1836,  and  the  road  opened  from  Boston  to  Salem,  August  27,  1838. 


156  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

through  the  most  populous  district.  For  the  next  fifteen 
years  the  peace  of  the  community  was  periodically  dis- 
turbed by  bitter  factions  favoring  this  or  that  route,  and 
it  was  made  the  paramount  issue  at  all  the  Representa- 
tive elections.  Indeed,  it  served  in  no  small  measura 
to  keep  alive  the  sectional  feeling  that  ultimately  re- 
sulted in  the  division  of  the  town.  The  shoe  manufac- 
turers did  all  in  their  power  to  create  an  influence  in 
favor  of  a  road  to  Boston,  and  finally  obtained  a  charter 
for  a  road  from  Georgetown  to  Danvers,  the  proposi- 
tion being  to  continue  the  road  already  built  from  New- 
buryport  to  Georgetown.  The  road,  known  as  the 
Georgetown  and  Danvers  Railroad,  was  duly  incorpo- 
rated on  Nov.  16,  1844,  the  incorporators  from  Danvers 
being  Elias  Putnam,  Samuel  Preston,  Joshua  Silvester, 
John  W.  Proctor,  Esq.,  Robert  S.  Daniels,  Henry 
Poor,  Elijah  W.  Upton,  Kendall  Osborne,  Lew^s  Allen, 
David  Daniels,  Fitch  Poole,  Eben  Sutton  and  Dr. 
George  Osborn.  The  road  did  not  materialize,  probably 
from  lack  of  funds  to  finance  it.  The  Danvers  Courier, 
commenting  on  the  failure  of  the  project,  thus  face- 
tiously remarks:  "No  accident  has  happened  to  any  one, 
if  we  except  the  trifling  pecuniary  damage  to  those  who 
obtained  the  charter.  All  are  delighted  with  the  invis- 
ible cars  which  render  the  motion  at  greatest  speed 
imperceptible.  The  grade  is  perfectly  level  the  whole 
distance,  the  rails  not  being  laid  on  sleepers  but  on  good 
substantial  drawing-paper."  It  might  be  added  that 
the  Courier  was  published  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
town. 

"One  day  in  the  summer  of  1845,  two  Danvers  men 
might  have  been  seen  on  the  summit  of  the  hill  which 
is  now  crowned  by  the  Hospital,  eagerly  scanning  the 
winding  valleys  to  the  south  and  to  the  north.  Pres- 
ently they  went  on,  and  climbing  one  of  the  high  hills 
of  Andover,  followed  again  the  course  of  the  lowland 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN  VERS  157 

to  where  the  great  mills  in  the  new  manufacturing  town 
of  Lawrence  on  the  Merrimac  were  soon  to  rise.  These 
two  men,  Elias  Putnam  and  Joshua  Silvester,  always 
progressive,  were  full  of  the  new  idea  of  steam  and  iron, 
which  had  already  begun  to  revolutionize  travel.  These 
men  on  the  hilltops  saw  in  the  valleys  the  course  of  an 
iron  highway,  which,  uniting  Lawrence  to  the  main 
line  at  Salem,  would  bring  the  railroad  to  Danvers. 

"And  soon  it  came  (1847).  Cutting  through  the 
high  ridge  south  of  Waters  river,  it  crossed  the  stream 
almost  at  the  little  cove  where  Governor  Endecott  is 
said  to  have  landed  from  his  shallop;  passed  within  a 
gunshot  of  the  ancient  pear  tree  which  the  Governor 
planted;  bridged  the  river  down  which  was  floated  the 
little  cooper's  shop,  the  beginning  of  Danversport; 
entered  Parson  Skelton's  grant  close  by  the  old  home 
of  the  Revolutionary  hero.  Colonel  Hutchinson ;  pushed 
on  across  the  old  Ipswich  road  through  Porter's  Plains ; 
beyond  Beaver  Dam,  almost  under  the  windows  of  that 
little  room  where  'Old  Put'  was  born,  and  so  on  north- 
ward,— a  truly  historic  route."^ 

While  the  new  railroad  was  of  great  benefit  to  the 
people  of  the  town,  its  opening  was  the  means  of  finally 
ruining  the  shipping  business  of  Danversport.  Car- 
goes of  supplies  which,  in  the  old  days,  arrived  by  water, 
now  began  to  come  by  freight  over  the  railroad  at  a 
much  less  expense  to  the  purchaser.  One  by  one  the 
storekeepers  and  other  citizens  turned  their  backs  upon 
the  vessels,  and  welcomed  the  railroad  freight  system. 
The  old-time  shipping  business  received  its  death  blow. 
Coal  and  lumber  are  now  the  principal  cargoes  arrivini^ 
at  Danversport,  and  even  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
coal  consumed  in  town  today  comes  by  way  of  the  rail- 
roads. 

1  From  Hon.  Alden  P.  White's  "History  of  Danvers,"  in  Essex  County 
History. 


158  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

In  1846,  Joseph  S.  Cabot,  Elias  Putnam,  Gayton  P. 
Osgood,  Albert  Thorndike  and  others  were  incorporated 
as  the  Essex  Railroad  Company,  to  operate  a  road  from 
Salem  to  Lawrence.  It  was  fathered  by  the  Eastern 
Railroad  Company  from  the  first,  on  account  of  the 
prospects  of  tapping  the  Boston  and  Maine  Railroad's 
lines  in  the  northern  town  and  of  bringing  travel  to 
their  main  line  at  Salem,  and  it  was  finally  absorbed  by 
that  company.^ 

In  1852,  William  D.  Northend,  George  J.  Tenney, 
Asa  Pingree,  Joseph  S.  Black  and  Gilbert  Tapley  were 
incorporated  as  the  Danvers  Railroad  Company,  for  a 
line  to  connect  with  the  Danvers  and  Georgetown  Rail- 
road, already  planned,  and  continuing  to  South  Read- 
ing, now  Wakefield,  to  connect  with  another  new  line 
to  Boston.  It  was  opened  to  the  public  in  1854,  and 
operated  under  lease  to  the  Boston  and  Maine  Railroad, 
thus  giving  through  trains  from  Newburyport  to  Bos- 
ton. The  Danvers  Railroad  as  a  corporation  continued 
until  1906,  when  its  officers,  who  were  officials  of  the 
Boston  and  Maine,  voted  to  buy  all  outstanding  stock, 
and  the  latter  road  was  authorized  to  issue  bonds  to 
acquire  title  to  the  old  Danvers  road.^ 

Attitude  of  Danvers  in  Mexican  War. — The 
town,  true  to  its  old-time  fearlessness,  boldly  declared 
itself,  with  the  rest  of  New  England,  as  opposed  to  a 
war  with  the  feeble  republic  of  Mexico  (1847).  The 
citizens  in  town  meeting  voted  this  war  wrong  in  its 
origin,  in  its  progress,  and  in  its  continuance;  that  the 
acqusition  of  new  territory  by  the  United  States  would 
not  counterbalance  in  any  measure  a  warfare  so  unjust 
and  unnatural ;  and  that  the  representatives  of  the  town 
in  Congress  and  in  the  State  use  all  lawful  influence  in 

1  See  "The  Eastern  Railroad,"  by  Francis  B.  C.  Bradlee. 

2  See  "The  Newburyport  and  Danvers  Railroad,"  by  Henry  F.  Long. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN  VERS  159 

their  power  to  bring  the  unrighteous  war  to  a  speedy- 
close.  Seven  men  from  Danvers  helped  win  the  vic- 
tories in  this  one-sided  conquest.^ 

The  FoRTY-lSTiNERs  and  the  Gold  Fever. — Stories 
of  the  wonderful  discovery  of  gold  in  California  in 
1849  did  not  escape  this  town.  The  people  shared  in 
the  general  excitement  and  many  a  head  was  filled  with 
dreams  of  sudden  wealth.  The  local  paper  urged  on 
the  frenzy  by  printing  letters  from  the  scene  of  the  gold 
fields,  which  related  that  "the  people  were  running  over 
the  country  and  picking  the  gold  out  of  the  earth  here 
and  there,  just  as  a  thousand  hogs  let  loose  in  the  forest, 
root  up  the  ground-nuts."  This  seemed  easy.  How- 
ever, these  accounts  failed  to  tell  of  the  terrible  hard- 
ships the  miners  were  obliged  to  endure.  Several  Dan- 
vers men  joined  parties  for  that  then  far-distant  land, 
but  no  records  of  fabulous  wealth  are  reported. 

GEORGE  PEABODY  AND  HIS  GIFTS. 

Holten  High  School  Established. — The  estab- 
lishment of  the  High  School  was  a  hard  struggle.  For 
ten  years  a  few  progressive  men  of  the  town  courage- 
ously fought  for  this  higher  education,  but  the  town  as 
a  whole  was  apparently  not  ready  for  it.  There  were 
those  who  thought  the  grammar  school  education  suf- 
ficient, and  others  considered  the  extra  expense  not  war- 
ranted; but  the  few  energetic  ones  persisted.  Finally 
the  State  helped  them  out  by  passing  a  law  compelling 
towms  of  the  size  of  Danvers  to  establish  a  High  School. 
If  such  towns  neglected  to  comply  with  the  law,  a  heavy 
penalty  was  to  be  imposed.  So,  in  1850,  Danvers  found 
herself  under  the  absolute  necessity  of  supporting  such 
an  institution.    However,  as  the  town,  which  then  in- 

1  See  Military  and  Naval  Annals  of  Danvers. 


160  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN^^RS 

eluded  the  present  city  of  Peabody,  was  so  large  terri- 
torially, and  the  population  so  scattered,  it  would  be 
folly  to  expect  one  school  to  cover  all;  hence  the  town 
found  itself  obliged  to  form  two  schools,  one  in  the 
south  and  the  other  in  the  north  part  of  the  town. 

Accordingly  the  first  session  of  the  Holten  High 
School,  which  was  named  for  Judge  Samuel  Holten, 
was  held  in  a  small  building  which  stood  on  Conant 
street,  next  to  Charles  N.  Perley's  barn.  It  was  a  long, 
narrow  structure,  a  little  back  from  the  road,  with  two 
large  trees  before  it.  The  room  in  which  the  school 
was  held  was  very  low-studded,  with  a  desk  at  one  end 
and  at  the  other  end  the  recitation  platform;  between 
were  only  three  rows  of  double  seats.  This  building  was 
known  as  "Belvidere  Hall,"  after  it  had  outlived  its 
usefulness  as  a  schoolhouse.  It  now  stands  in  the  rear 
of  Unity  Chapel  and  is  converted  into  a  dwelling.  The 
school  soon  outgrew  these  small  quarters  and  it  became 
necessary  for  the  committee  to  find  a  more  commodious 
place.  A  short  time  before  this  a  building  had  been 
moved  from  the  south  part  of  the  town  to  the  spot  now 
occupied  by  the  wSoldiers'  monument.  It  was  used  for 
Methodist  meetings,  but  when  this  society  discontinued 
services,  it  was  secured  for  the  High  School.  It  was 
known  as  "The  Quail  Trap,"  and  was  later  moved  to 
Essex  street,  where  it  now  stands,  owned  by  George 
W.  Howe.  Two  or  three  years  later  there  was  a  de- 
mand for  a  Town  Hall  in  this  part  of  the  town,  and, 
when  erected,  the  High  School  was  moved  (1855)  to  a 
room  in  that  building. 

The  principals  of  the  High  School  have  been:  John 
Marshall,  1850-1851;  Ambrose  P.  S.  Stewart,  1852- 
1853;  Nathaniel  Hills,  1853-1865;  John  C.  Proctor, 
1865-1866;  James  Fletcher,  1866-1871;  Orville  B. 
Grant,  1871-1872;  Myi-on  O.  Harrington,  1872-1873; 


'  i'lV^^^^i-i^ 


ARCH  AT  DANVERSPORT  ERECTED  FOR  THE  PEABODY  RECEPTION 


ARCH  ON  HIGH  STREET  ERECTED  FOR  THE  PEABODY  RECEPTION 
Residence  of  Hon.  James  D.  Black.     Later  the  estate  of  Gilbert  Augustus  Tapley. 


DANVERS'  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION 
Tents  erected  in  the  South  Parish  for  the  occasion 
From  a  wood-cut  in  "Gleason's  Pictorial''  in  1852. 


._^^^.^  ^^^/^. 


The  inscription  on  the  envelope  in  which  the  first  donation  to  the  town  of  Danvers  was  received. 
The  seal  was  broken  at  the  Centennial  Celebration  in  1852. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  161 

Albert  W.  Bachelor,  1873-1874;  Edward  D.  Mason, 
1875;  Joseph  W.  Keene,  1875;  Henrj^  H.  Hart,  1875; 
Frank  M.  Hawes,  1875-1879;  Howard  R.  Burrington, 
1879-1890;  Ernest  J.  Powers,  1890-1900;  Herbert  J. 
Chase,  1900-1904;  William  J.  Rushmore,  1904-1907; 
Fred  C.  Mitchell,  1907-1909;  Charles  F.  Abbott,  1909- 
1912;  William  A.  Spooner,  1912-1919;  Edward  L. 
Montgomery,  1919-1920;  Roy  M.  Strout,  1920-1921; 
Lester  Williams,  1921-1922;  Ivan  Smith,  1922. 

Dan^^rs'  Centennial;  Mr.  Peabody's  Toast. — 
The  year  1852  marked  the  one  hundredth  anniversary 
of  the  separation  of  Danvers  from  Salem,  and  the  event 
was  celebrated  in  royal  style  in  the  south  part  of  the 
town.  It  was  one  of  the  greatest  days  in  Danvers' 
history.  A  procession  a  mile  and  a  half  long  was  one 
of  the  principal  features,  not  to  mention  the  banquet 
which  followed.  It  was  the  day  of  days  for  the  engine 
companies.  The  trades  also  were  well  represented. 
The  1,500  school  children,  gaily  attired,  added  to  the 
beautiful  scene,  while  a  cavalcade  of  300  horsemen 
brought  up  the  rear.  The  whole  town  was  decorated 
with  banners  and  beautiful  arches  spanned  many  of  the 
streets.  The  Governor  and  all  the  distinguished  men 
from  far  and  near  were  there. 

There  was  one,  however,  a  native  of  Danvers,  who, 
although  invited,  was  not  able  to  be  present.  He  was 
then  in  London.  It  was  fifteen  years  since  he  had  seen 
his  native  land,  and  he  had  not  visited  the  place  of  his 
birth  since  he  was  sixteen,  when  he  started  out  to  seek 
his  fortune.  George  Peabody,  the  London  banker,  did 
not  forget  the  old  town  of  Danvers.  With  his  regrets 
to  the  committee's  invitation  to  be  present  at  the  cele- 
bration, he  sent  a  sealed  letter,  with  instructions  as 
follows:  "The  seal  of  this  envelope  is  not  to  be  broken 
till  the  toasts  are  being  prepared  by  the  chairman  at 


162  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

the  dinner,  16th  June,  at  Danvers,  in  commemoration 
of  the  one  hundredth  year  since  its  severance  from 
Salem.  It  contains  a  sentiment  for  the  occasion  from 
George  Peabody  of  London." 

At  the  proper  time  the  seal  was  broken.  The  senti- 
ment contained  is  well  known  to  all  of  the  present  day : 
"Education,  a  debt  due  from  present  to  future  gener- 
ations." 

A  gift  of  $20,000  to  the  town  was  also  included,  for 
the  erection  and  maintenance  of  a  library  and  lecture 
hall.  Thus  came  George  Peabody's  first  large  gift  to 
the  town  of  Danvers.  The  building  designated  was 
erected  the  next  year  in  the  south  part  of  the  town  on 
Main  street,  and  named  "The  Peabody  Institute."  It 
was  under  the  management  of  a  committee  chosen  from 
both  parts  of  the  town.  They  were:  Eben  King,  Joseph 
S.  Black,  William  L.  Weston,  Aaron  F.  Clark,  Francis 
Baker,  Joseph  Poor,  Ehjah  W.  Upton,  Miles  Osborne, 
Joseph  Osgood,  Eben  Sutton,  Robert  S.  Daniels, 
Samuel  P.  Fowler,  William  F.  Poole,  the  latter  the 
author  of   Poole's  "Index  of  Literature." 

High  School  Prizes. — The  year  following  (1853) 
the  first  donation  to  the  town,  a  Danvers  business  man 
who  was  in  London,  found  an  opportunity  to  call  at 
the  small,  dark  office  which  Mr.  Peabody  occupied  in 
one  of  the  courts  leading  out  of  Throgmorton  street, 
where  from  ten  to  four  o'clock  each  day  he  attended 
to  his  great  business  interests.  The  banker  had  much 
to  ask  him,  during  this  and  subsequent  visits,  concern- 
ing the  progress  of  the  building  of  the  Institute,  and  in 
one  of  these  conversations  in  1853  it  happened  that 
Mr.  Peabody  spoke  of  his  intention  of  presenting  prizes 
to  the  pupils  of  the  High  School  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  town,  which  school  had  been  named  for  him. 
The  Danvers  man  suggested  that  there  was  also  a  High 
School  in  his  part  of  the  town,  something  which  Mr. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  163 

Peabody  expressed  himself  as  glad  to  learn,  and  he 
promptly  agreed  to  treat  both  parts  of  the  town  impar- 
tially. Accordingly,  in  1854,  he  sent  $200,  with  a  prom- 
ise of  a  similar  annual  donation.  Early  in  1856  it  was 
decided  that  the  prizes  should  be  in  the  form  of  medals, 
and  the  Peabody  medal  was  evolved  by  the  celebrated 
engraver,  Francis  L.  Mitchell  of  Boston.^ 

Early  Life  of  Mr.  Peabody. — This  well  known 
philanthropist  was  born  on  Feb.  18,  1795,  in  that  part 
of  old  Danvers,  now  Peabody,  in  a  house  still  standing 
near  the  junction  of  Washington  and  Foster  streets. 
His  parents  were  able  to  give  him  only  a  meager  educa- 
tion, and  at  the  age  of  12  years  he  secured  a  position 
as  grocer's  clerk  for  Captain  Sylvester  Proctor,  whose 
friendship  he  cherished  to  the  last.  The  first  dollar  he 
ever  earned  was  while  he  was  yet  a  schoolboy,  for  tend- 
ing a  little  booth  at  a  certain  celebration,  for  the  sale 
of  apples  and  other  edibles.  He  stuck  to  his  post  in 
spite  of  the  fascination  of  the  sports  about  him,  and 
was  rewarded  for  his  faithfulness  with  a  dollar, — ^the 
foundation  of  his  colossal  fortune. 

Success  in  Business. — At  the  age  of  16,  with  no 
capital  but  a  good  character  and  a  persistent  energy, 
he  started  out  in  life  as  clerk  in  his  brother's  dry-goods 
store  at  Newburyport.  Before  he  reached  his  majority 
he  was  taken  into  partnership  by  Elisha  Riggs,  a 
wealthy  New  York  dry-goods  merchant,  and  the  next 
year  the  firm  moved  its  business  to  Baltimore,  estab- 
lishing branch  houses  in  New  York  and  Philadelphia. 
During  the  next  ten  or  twelve  years  the  business  of  the 
firm  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  Mr.  Peabody  made 
several  trips  to  England  in  furtherance  of  his  interests. 
Owing  chiefly  to  his  talent  and  industry  the  business 
flourished,  and  when,  by  the  retirement  of  Elisha  Riggs, 

1  See  Danvers  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  2,  p.  4. 


164  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

he  became  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  the  house  of 
Peabody,  Riggs  &  Co.  took  rank  with  the  leading  con- 
cerns of  the  country.  So  trustworthy  was  Mr.  Peabody 
that  at  times  the  United  States  Government,  taking 
advantage  of  his  business  sagacity,  employed  him  to 
transact  important  financial  negotiations.  At  the  age 
of  45,  he  went  to  London  to  live,  where  he  made  his 
home  during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  and  established 
the  great  banking  firm  of  George  Peabody,  a  concern 
which  was  known  all  over  the  civilized  world.  He 
enjoyed  the  highest  position  in  the  mercantile  world  of 
any  American  up  to  that  time. 

As  a  factor  in  creating  a  friendly  international  feel- 
ing between  England  and  America  at  a  time  when  rela- 
tions were  strained  in  the  years  following  the  War  of 
1812,  he  was  a  greater  power,  in  the  estimation  of  Hon. 
R.  C.  Winthrop,  than  "all  the  diplomacy  of  London 
or  Washington."  So,  too,  in  1837,  in  that  critical  period 
of  American  finance,  he  alone  sustained  the  American 
credit.  It  was  said  that  no  other  person  would  have 
been  listened  to  for  a  moment  in  the  parlor  of  the  Bank 
of  England  upon  the  subject  of  American  securities, 
yet  he  was  able  to  negotiate  a  loan  which  saved  the  com- 
mercial credit  of  the  nation. 

His  Acts  of  Philanthrophy. — There  is  no  act  of 
philanthrophy  in  George  Peabody's  long  life  that  shines 
with  a  brighter  lustre  than  his  first.  He  believed  that 
"charity  begins  at  home,"  and  as  soon  as  he  began  to  be 
successful  in  business,  he  gave  freely  of  his  earnings  to 
provide  a  comfortable  home  for  his  mother  and  sisters. 
His  subsequent  gifts  of  millions  of  dollars  for  charity 
have  seldom  been  equalled  in  the  world's  history.  When 
Congress  refused  to  appropriate  money  to  aid  in  the 
American  exhibition  in  London  (1851),  Mr.  Peabody 
came  to  the  rescue  of  his  countrymen  by  generous  con- 


<~-^  C^^Z^^^ 


^'  yj'-^rf: 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  165 

tributions,  securing  to  the  American  nation  its  proper 
place.  He  provided  the  means  to  fit  out  Dr.  Kane's 
Arctic  expedition  in  search  of  Sir  John  Franklin 
(1852).  He  founded  the  Peabody  Institute  in  Balti- 
more (1857) ,  to  which  he  gave  in  all  one  million  dollars. 
He  established  libraries  in  Thetford,  Vt.,  and  George- 
town, Mass.,  and  devoted  in  all  three  millions  to  the 
Southern  educational  fund.  Yale  and  Harvard  Col- 
leges received  $150,000  each;  Peabody  Academy  of 
Science,  in  Salem,  $140,000;  Phillips  Academy,  And- 
over  $25,000.  His  greatest  liberality  was  shown  in 
his  munificent  gift  of  $3,000,000  for  the  erection  of 
tenement  houses  for  the  deserving  poor  of  London, 
where,  for  small  rentals,  needy  families  live  in  com- 
parative comfort.  As  the  interest  on  the  fund  accumu- 
lates, new  houses  are  built,  so  that  if  the  money  is 
properly  handled,  the  good  work  will  go  on  forever. 
His  generous  donations  to  his  native  town  will  be  men- 
tioned later.  All  these  gifts,  and  many  more,  amount- 
ing to  nearly  $9,000,000,  were  made  in  his  lifetime, 
while  he  could  be  a  witness  to  the  great  good  accom- 
plished. At  his  death,  $4,000,000  more  were  disposed 
of  by  will. 

His  Visit  to  Danvers  and  the  Reception. — When 
in  1856,  the  people  of  South  Danvers  learned  that  Mr. 
Peabody  was  soon  to  visit  the  United  States,  they  deter- 
mined, with  the  aid  of  Danvers,  to  give  him  a  magnifi- 
cent reception.  He  declined  all  other  attentions  show- 
ered upon  him  in  the  large  cities,  preferring  rather  to 
receive  his  first  greeting  at  the  hands  of  the  people  of 
his  native  town.  The  two  towns,  just  divided,  united 
enthusiastically  in  the  welcome  to  their  former  son,  and 
a  committee  was  sent  to  New  York  to  meet  Mr.  Pea- 
body on  his  arrival. 

The  day  of  the  reception,  October  9,  1856,  was  a 


166  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

perfect  Indian  summer  day.  The  guest  of  honor  drove 
from  Georgetown  with  his  sisters  and  a  nephew,  and 
met  the  committee  at  the  Maple  Street  Church,  where 
a  sakite  of  one  hundred  guns  announced  his  arrival. 
Here  he  was  seated  in  an  elegant  barouche,  drawn  by 
six  horses,  and  accompanied  by  Rev.  Milton  P.  Braman, 
Robert  S.  Daniels  and  Joshua  Silvester,  commenced  his 
triumphal  drive^  through  streets  gay  with  flags  and 
bunting  and  arches  of  flowers,  by  the  way  of  Danvers- 
port  to  South  Danvers. 

"The  scene  at  the  starting  point  was  very  beautiful. 
The  spire  of  the  church  and  private  buildings  were  gaily 
dressed  with  flags  and  streamers,  and  in  full  view  was 
an  elegant  threefold  arch  spanning  the  wide  street,  the 
centre  arch  rising  above  the  others  and  being  adorned 
with  evergreens,  wreaths,  medallions,  flowers  and  flags. 
Coming  first  in  a  long  series  of  decorations  with  which 
the  streets  of  both  towns  were  adorned,  the  sight  im- 
pressed Mr.  Peabody,  who  expressed  his  surprise  and 
gratification.  Two  cavalcades  were  drawn  up  just  be- 
low the  arch,  one  wholly  of  ladies,  who  threw  into  Mr. 
Peabody's  carriage  bouquets  of  flowers  as  he  passed. 
The  procession  moved  on  through  the  streets  lined  with 
decorated  houses  and  vmder  waving  flags  and  triumphal 
arches,  attended  by  the  booming  of  cannon  and  strains 
of  martial  music.  Thousands  of  people  from  all  over 
the  countrj^  came  to  witness  the  grand  celebration.  It 
was  the  day  of  all  days  for  Danvers  and  South  Danvers. 
The  shouts  and  salutations  of  the  people  were  gratefully 
acknowledged  by  INIr.  Peabody,  as  he  bowed  to  the 
throng  on  either  side." 

At  Peabody  Institute,  South  Danvers,  the  exercises 
of  the  day  took  place,  and  here  Mr.  Peabody's  voice  was 
heard  for  the  first  time.     His  words  to  the  school  chil- 

1  See  "The  Peabody  Reception,"  published  by  the  Committee  in  1856. 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANVERS  167 

dren  are  worthy  of  mention.  Said  he:  "There  is  not  a 
youth  within  the  sound  of  mj'^  voice  whose  early  oppor- 
tunities and  advantages  are  not  very  much  greater  than 
were  my  OAvn,  and  I  have  since  achieved  nothing  that 
is  impossible  to  the  most  humble  boy  among  you.  Bear 
in  mind  that  to  be  truly  great  it  is  not  necessary  that 
you  should  gain  wealth  or  importance.  Every  boy  may 
become  a  great  man,  in  whatever  sphere  Providence 
may  call  him  to  move.  Steadfast  and  undeviating  truth, 
fearless  and  straightforward  integrity,  and  an  honor 
ever  unsullied  by  an  unworthy  word  or  action,  make 
their  possessor  greater  than  worldlj^  success  or  pros- 
perity. These  qualities  constitute  greatness.  May  the 
advice  I  have  given  you  be  impressed  upon  j^our  young 
hearts.  It  is  given  with  much  sincerity  by  one  who  has 
had  much  experience  in  the  world ;  and  although  Provi- 
dence has  smiled  on  all  his  labors,  he  has  never  ceasCvd 
to  feel  and  lament  the  want  of  that  early  education 
which  is  now  so  freely  offered  to  each  one  of  you." 

Later,  at  the  dinner,  he  said,  in  reference  to  England 
and  America:  "If  there  are  two  nations  on  the  face  of 
the  earth  which  ought  to  be  connected  by  the  closest  ties 
of  mutual  good  will,  thej?^  are  these  two  countries.  .  .  . 
I  am  sure  that,  notwithstanding  the  little  outbursts  of 
jealousy  which  occasionally  show  themselves,  England 
is  not  less  proud  of  her  offspring  than  is  America  of 
the  parent  stock." 

Mr.  Peabody  returned  to  Georgetown  the  next  day. 
At  Danvers  Square  he  found  his  way  blocked  by  the 
school  children,  who,  hand  in  hand,  formed  a  chain 
across  the  street.  His  greeting  to  the  children  from  the 
carriage  was  a  fitting  close  to  the  wonderful  ovation. 

Me.  Peabody's  Gifts  to  Dan\ters. — A  few  days 
after  the  reception,  JNIr.  Peabody  announced  to  Joshua 
Silvester  of  Danvers,  who  had  previously  known  him  in 


168  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN^TLRS 

London,  his  intention  of  presenting  the  sum  of  $10,000 
for  the  estabhshment  of  a  branch  hbrary  in  Danvers. 
He  asked  Mr.  Silvester  to  bring  to  him  at  the  Revere 
Plouse  in  Boston,  a  hst  of  names  of  suitable  persons 
to  receive  the  gift,  they  to  act  with  the  library  com- 
mittee of  South  Danvers.  They  were:  Rev.  Milton  P. 
Braman,  Samuel  Preston,  James  D.  Black,  Matthew 
Hooper  and  William  L.  Weston.  Mr.  Silvester  was 
added  by  Mr.  Peabody.  A  room  for  the  library  was 
secured  at  the  Town  Hall,  and  here  it  was  located  for 
the  next  twelve  years.  In  the  meantime  the  committee 
purchased  the  beautiful  grounds  on  which  our  present 
Institute  stands  today,  planted  over  250  rock  maple 
trees,  laid  out  avenues  and  walks,  and  named  it  "Pea- 
body  Park,"  in  anticipation  of  a  building  on  that  spot 
some  day. 

Mr.  Peabody  made  two  other  visits  to  Danvers,  one 
on  August  5,  1857,  when  he  was  entertained  at  the 
residence  of  John  R.  Langley  on  Sylvan  street,  now 
the  residence  of  Henry  M.  Melcher,  and  where  a  recep- 
tion was  held,  followed  by  a  drive  about  town  and  a 
call  at  the  High  School,  his  autograph  being  preserved 
in  the  "Visitors'  Book."  In  the  spring  of  1866,  when 
it  became  known  that  he  contemplated  making  another 
visit  to  this  country,  the  citizens  of  South  Danvers,  rep- 
resented by  Gen.  William  Sutton,  Henry  Poor,  Elijah 
W.  Upton  and  Warren  M.  Jacobs,  and  those  of  North 
Danvers,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Braman,  Joshua  Silvester  and 
Daniel  Richards,  were  delegated  to  meet  him  in  New 
York,  they  having  been  advised  by  Blake  Brothers  & 
Co.,  bankers  of  New  York,  of  his  arrival  on  the  "Scotia," 
on  May  1. 

On  another  visit,  April  13, 1867,  he  was  given  a  recep- 
tion by  the  school  children  of  Danvers,  which  was  made 
a  gala  occasion.  He  was  met  at  the  noon  train  from 
Salem  by  about  one  thousand  young  people,  who  con- 


THE  PEABODY  INSTITUTE 
Dedicated  in  1869.     Destroyed  by  fire  in  i8go. 


/l^^.C<^     ^^.'*^gX-^     /V>»*-f^    £Zyz.crt>e>f*^  y'ic^*^  y'^cc2^^^ 
t2<n.a6  e-cA^^  O-trz'cjL.    ^5^*'^-^<A^^'«^.*<-    ^^t^^e-^ 


POKM   READ  BY  OLIVER  WENDELL  HOLMES 
From  the  original  manuscript  in  possession  of  the  Peabody  Institute,  Peabody 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DANAT:RS  169 

ducted  him  to  the  Universahst  Church,  where,  amid 
elaborate  decorations  of  flags  of  all  nations,  the  exercises 
took  place.  INIr.  Peabody  addressed  the  assembly,  was 
later  entertained  by  Joshua  Silvester  on  Peabody  ave- 
nue, and  in  the  evening  by  Francis  Peabody,  Esq.,  at 
*'The  Lindens,"  where  the  trustees  first  showed  him  the 
plans  of  the  new  Institute,  which  he  heartily  approved. 
His  total  donation  to  this  town  was  about  $100,000. 

The  Peabody  Institute. — In  1866,  Mr.  Peabody 
donated  a  further  sum  of  $40,000  for  the  erection  of  a 
building  in  Danvers  and  support  of  a  library  and  lec- 
ture course,  to  be  conducted  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
Peabody  Institute,  South  Danvers.  One  of  the  rules 
laid  down  by  the  donor  was  that  the  new  Institute 
should  never  be  used  for  the  discussion  of  sectarian 
theology  or  party  politics.  Henceforth  the  two  Insti- 
tutes were  distinct  corporations,  although  having  the 
same  name,  the  same  objects,  and  supported  by  the  gen- 
erosit}'-  of  one  man.  Peabody  Institute,  Danvers,  was 
completed  in  1869,  and  upon  the  14th  of  July,  the  occa- 
sion of  the  dedication,  Mr.  Peabody  was  present. 

Two  days  after  the  dedication  of  the  Institute,  Mr. 
Peabody  invited  thirtj^  of  his  personal  friends  and  a 
few  chosen  from  the  trustees  of  his  various  charities, 
to  meet  him  at  the  Peabody  Institute,  Peabody,  for 
luncheon.  The  guests  came  in  a  special  train  from 
Boston,  and  at  noon  Cassell  furnished  a  "superb  lunch, 
surpassing  his  own  reputation."  This  was  probably  as 
notable  a  gathering  of  wealth  and  distinction  as  this 
county  had  ever  seen.  The  names  of  the  guests  follow: 
Gov.  William  Claflin,  Robert  C.  Winthrop,  Charles 
Sumner,  John  H.  Clifford,  Thomas  Aspinwall,  Charles 
Francis  Adams,  Jacob  Bigelow,  Alexander  H.  Rice, 
George  Tyler  Bigelow,  C.  N.  Warren,  Stephen  Salis- 
bury,   William    Gray,    Samuel    P.    Fowler,    Francis 


170  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVEES 

Peabody,  Joshua  Silvester,  Sidney  Bartlett,  William 
Amory,  Peter  Butler,  Nathaniel  S.  Shurtleff,  Nath- 
aniel Thayer,  William  C.  Endicott,  George  Peabody 
Russell,  Robert  Singleton  Peabody,  John  Amory 
Lowell,  George  Lunt,  George  N.  Eaton,  S.  K.  Lothrop, 
Samuel  T.  Dana,  James  M.  Beebe,  Thomas  Russell, 
Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  Lincoln  F.  Brigham  and 
Robert  M.  Mason.  The  Hon.  A.  A.  Abbott  presided 
over  this  gathering,  and  there  were  remarks  by  Hon. 
R.  C.  Winthrop.  The  following  original  poem  was  read 
by  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  and  afterwards  published: 

"Bankrupt!    Our  pockets  inside  out! 

Empty  of  words  to  speak  his  praises ! 
Worcester  and  Webster  up  the  spout ! 

Dead  broke  of  laudatory  praises! 
Yet  why  witli  flowery  speeches  tease, 

With  vain  superlatives  distress  him? 
Has  language  better  words  than  these — 

The  Friend  of  all  his  race,  God  Bless  Him ! 

"A  simple  prayer,  but  words  more  sweet 

By  human  lips  were  never  uttered 
Since  Adam  left  the  country  seat 

Where  angel  wings  around  him  fluttered. 
The  old  look  on  with  tear-dimmed  eyes. 

The  children  cluster  to  caress  him, 
And  every  voice,  unbidden,  cries, 

The  Friend  of  all  his  race— God  Bless  Him!" 

Later,  the  guests  took  carriages  for  Danvers.  On  the 
way  they  were  entertained  by  Francis  Peabody,  Esq., 
at  "The  Lindens,"  and  upon  arrival  at  the  Peabody  In- 
stitute, Danvers,  there  were  remarks  by  Dr.  Lothrop, 
Charles  Sumner  and  Governor  Claflin.  The  building 
met  the  approbation  of  all,  and  they  echoed  the  senti- 
ment offered  by  Mr.  Peabody  at  the  dedication,  when 
he  said,  "The  architect,  building  committee,  and  all 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN^T:RS  171 

others  connected  with  the  erection  of  the  Institute  have 
performed  their  duty  in  good  taste,  and  I  have  nothing 
to  find  fault  with."^ 

The  hf e  trustees,  appointed  by  the  donor,  were :  Rev. 
Milton  P.  Braman,  Joshua  Silvester,  Francis  Peabody, 
Jr.,  Samuel  P.  Fowler,  Daniel  Richards,  Israel  W.  An- 
drews, Jacob  Perry,  Charles  P.  Preston  and  Israel  H. 
Putnam. 

The  Presidents  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  have  been: 
Rev.  Dr.  M.  P.  Braman,  1866-1872;  Samuel  P.  Fowler, 
1872-1878;  Charles  P.  Preston,  1878-1883;  Israel  W. 
Andrews,  1883-1888;  Israel  H.  Putnam,  1888-1896; 
George  Augustus  Peabody,  1896-1916;  Herbert  S. 
Tapley,  1916. 

The  Librarians  have  been:  Nathaniel  Hills,  Samuel 
P.  Fowler,  pro  tem.,  William  Rankin,  Jr.,  A.  Sumner 
Howard,  Lizzie  INI.  Howard,  Mrs.  Emilie  K.  Patch,  and 
Miss  Bessie  P.  Ropes. 

The  library  contains  over  31,000  volumes.  This 
building  was  burned  in  1890,  and  the  present  building 
was  completed  in  1892.  The  children's  room  was  made 
possible  in  1896  by  the  generosity  of  George  Augustus 
Peabody,  Esq. 

His  Last  Years. — To  the  last,  George  Peabody  was 
most  active  in  the  business  world.  In  1869,  having 
visited  this  country,  he  returned  in  faihng  health  to 
England,  where  he  died  November  4,  1869.  His  death 
was  mourned  by  every  civilized  nation  of  the  world,  and 
the  land  of  his  birth  and  that  of  his  adoption  vied  with 
one  another  in  paying  tribute  to  his  memory.  Queen 
Victoria,  who  had  always  admired  the  modest  American 
merchant,  mourned  the  death  of  this  great  benefactor 
of  England  and  America.  A  public  service  was  held  in 
Westminster  Abbey,  which  was  attended  by  the  Queen 

iDanvers  Monitor,  July  21,  1869. 


172  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN^^RS 

and  Royal  Family.  His  body  was  conveyed  across  the 
Atlantic  in  Her  Majesty's  ship-of-war  "Monarch,"  an 
honor  never  before  or  since  accorded  an  American  citi- 
zen. Its  arrival  at  Portland  harbor  was  announced  by 
the  cannon  of  the  noble  ship,  and  accompanied  by  Prince 
Arthur,  representing  Great  Britain,  together  with  the 
officials  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  and 
those  of  his  native  town,  all  that  was  mortal  of  this 
illustrious  man  was  borne  in  a  funeral  train  to  Peabody. 
Here,  according  to  his  own  request,  this  man,  honored 
in  life  and  death  by  Kings  and  Queens,  admired  by  the 
mercantile  world,  and  worshipped  by  the  common  peo- 
ple, was  buried  from  the  church  in  the  little  town  in 
which  he  first  saw  the  light.  The  eulogy  was  by  Hon. 
Robert  C.  Winthrop,  and  the  service  was  conducted  by 
Rev.  Daniel  Marsh  of  Georgetown.  His  remains  lie 
in  Harmony  Grove  Cemetery. 

His  Character. — The  secret  of  George  Peabody's 
great  success  in  life  was  his  industry,  honesty  and  per- 
severance. He  was  a  diligent  worker  from  the  very 
first,  and  even  when,  at  times,  his  prospects  looked  dark, 
he  would  resolutely  rise  above  it  and  push  on  to  still 
greater  achievements.  In  his  business  transactions  he 
was  above  reproach,  never  exhibiting  any  of  the  tricks 
which  so  often  characterize  a  certain  type  of  business 
man.  He  was  never  jealous  of  others'  success.  "Live 
and  let  live,"  was  his  motto.  Having  a  wide  knowledge 
of  the  world's  finances,  his  judgment  was  always  to  be 
depended  upon.  Punctuality  was  one  of  his  particular 
virtues ;  it  is  said  that  he  never  violated  the  most  trivial 
engagements.  He  was  extremely  modest,  too,  in  receiv- 
ing praise  for  his  generous  acts.  Offered  a  baronetcy, 
he  declined  the  honor,  with  the  loyal  independence  of 
an  American  citizen,  and  when  asked  what  gift  he 
would  accept  from  the  Queen  for  his  princely  benefac- 


THE  FIRST  PEABODY  MEDAL 

Presented  to  early  graduates   of  the 

Holten  High  School 


-^fejL 


British  War  Vessels,  Screwship  "Monarch"  the  "Mantonomah,"  the  "Terror"  and  the  Corvette 

"Plymouth",  conveying  the  Remains  of  George  Peabody  up  Portland  Harbor,  Maine,  Jan.  26,  1870. 

From  a  wood-cut  in  "Frank  Leslie's  Illustrated.  " 


THE  OLD  TOWN  OF  DAN  VERS  173 

tions  to  the  City  of  London,  he  expressed  only  the  mod- 
est desh'e  for  an  autograph  letter  from  Her  Majesty. 
This  was  accorded  him,  together  with  a  miniature  por- 
trait of  the  Queen  in  a  gold  frame,  valued  at  $30,000, 
which  is  now  preserved  in  the  Peabody  Institute,  Pea- 
body.     The  inscription  on  the  portrait  is  as  follows : 

"This  Portrait  of  Victoria,  Queen  of  Great  Britain, 
the  Gift  of  Her  Majesty  to  George  Peabody,  as  'a 
token  of  her  appreciation  of  his  noble  act  of  more  than 
princely  munificence  to  the  Poor  of  London,'  has  been 
by  him  confided  to  the  perpetual  charge  and  custody  of 
the  Trustees  of  Peabodv  Institute  at  South  Danvers, 
the  place  of  his  nativity^  A.  D.  MDCCCLXVII." 

It  was  ever  his  object  to  create  a  bond  of  sympathy 
between  England  and  America,  and  at  a  time  when 
public  sentiment  in  this  respect  was  not  broad.  To  this 
end  he  gave  a  dinner  every  Fourth  of  July,  to  which 
representatives  of  both  countries  were  invited.  On 
such  an  occasion  (1852)  he  said:  "I  have  lived  a 
great  many  years  in  this  country  without  weakening 
my  attachment  to  my  own  land,  but  at  the  same  time 
too  long  not  to  respect  and  honor  the  institutions  and 
people  of  Great  Britain;  it  has,  therefore,  been  my  con- 
stant desire,  while  showing  such  attentions  as  were  in 
my  power  to  my  own  countrymen,  to  promote  to  the 
very  utmost,  kind  and  brotherly  feelings  between  Eng- 
lishmen and  Americans.  .  .  .  There  has  recently  been 
much  excitement  in  America  in  reference  to  the  main- 
tenance of  the  Union  of  the  States, — an  excitement  that 
has  placed  the  Union  on  a  firmer  basis  than  ever.  I 
have  felt  that,  important  to  us  as  is  this  bond  of  union, 
there  is  another  which  is  no  less  important  to  the  whole 
civilized  world, — I  refer  to  the  moral  and  friendly  union 
between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States.  May 
both  these  unions  still  continue  and  gather  strength  with 
the  gathering  years." 


174<  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

George  Peabodj^  was  tall,  large  and  dignified,  with 
a  native  simplicity  of  manner.  His  benevolence  was 
from  the  heart,  and  his  private  gifts  lighted  many  a 
friend  whose  sky  was  overcast  by  distress  and  adversity. 
With  all  his  wealth,  his  own  manner  of  living  was  very 
simple,  never  employing  regular  servants  nor  support- 
ing a  home  of  his  own.  He  never  married.  Of  him 
it  has  been  said:  "His  life  had  no  shades,  no  dark  spots 
which  his  friends  would  desire  to  conceal  or  remove,  no 
eccentricity  to  detract  from  its  merit.  His  well-balanced 
mind  led  him  to  right  views  on  every  subject.  His  acute 
moral  sense  always  kept  him  in  the  path  of  rectitude. 
He  possessed  honesty  that  could  not  be  corrupted,  and 
integrity  that  could  not  be  shaken  by  adversity.  Such 
was  George  Peabody,  a  worthy  example  to  be  followed 
by  every  child  of  Danvers." 

Joshua  Silvester,  whom  Judge  "White  has  said  "seems 
to  have  been  connected  more  intimately  with  Mr.  Pea- 
body  than  any  other  of  our  citizens,"  was  born  in  Wis- 
casset,  Me.,  July  9,  1803,  the  son  of  Joshua  and  Sally 
(Stacey)  Silvester.  His  early  forbears  on  both  sides 
came  to  this  countrj?-  from  England  in  the  sixteen-thir- 
ties,  and  later  generations  were  merchants  and  ship- 
owners in  Marblehead  and  Wiscasset.  In  1806  his  par- 
ents removed  to  Andover,  Mass.,  upon  whose  deaths  in 
early  life,  the  young  man,  the  eldest  of  five  children, 
came  to  Danvers  and  learned  the  shoe  business  of  Caleb 
Oakes  at  the  Port.  After  a  term  at  Atkinson  (N.  H.) 
Academy,  he  was  employed  as  clerk  for  Jonas  Warren, 
and  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  began  the  manufacture 
of  shoes,  in  which  business  he  continued  for  many  years 
at  Danvers,  Derry,  N.  H.,  and  Philadelphia.  He  mar- 
ried Harriet,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and  Sally  (Poor) 
Noyes  of  Atkinson.  After  the  fire  of  1845,  which  de- 
stroyed his  house  and  factory,  he  crossed  the  ocean  and 
introduced  the  manufacture  of  pegged  shoes  into  Eng- 


(.OVER  OF  THK  SPECIAL  TIME  TABLE 

Issued  by  the  Eastern  Railroad  for  the  accommodation  of   H.  R.  H.  Prince  Arthur, 

at  the  George  Peabody  Funeral. 


L 


THE  OLI)  TOWN  OF  DAN\^RS  175 

land,  subsequently  making  four  other  trips  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  shoe,  leather  and  rubber  business.  The 
design  of  his  residence  on  Peabody  avenue,  also  the 
Universalist  Church,  and  the  laying  out  of  Peabody 
Park,  were  the  result  of  English  studies.  From  1853, 
when  he  first  attended  one  of  Mr.  Peabody's  Fourth  of 
July  dinners  in  London,  to  the  death  of  the  great 
philanthropist,  the  two  men  were  on  friendly  terms. 
Of  Mr.  Silvester,  Judge  White  has  further  written: 
"To  fairly  estimate  his  character,  one  should  have  known 
him  intimately  through  the  busy,  successful  years  of 
his  prime,  down  to  the  peaceful  end  of  old  age.  This 
much  is  clear,  that  he  was  first  and  always  a  true  gentle- 
man. Truth  and  honor  were  his  guiding  principles. 
Simplicity  and  modesty  were  apparent  in  his  manners. 
Many  have  died  richer,  but  none  more  thoroughly  re- 
spected. His  monument  is  everywhere  where  the  num- 
berless trees  which  he  was  instrumental  in  setting  out 
are  growing  yearly  more  and  more  beautiful.  In  them 
he  has  left  a  precious  legacy  to  us  and  future  genera- 
tions which  no  money  could  buJ^"  He  died  on  July 
9,  1887. 


III.     DANVERS  SINCE  THE  DIVISION. 


1855-1923. 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  TOWN  FROM  THE 
CIVIL  WAR  TO  THE  WORLD  WAR. 

Why  the  Town  Was  Divided;  South  Danvers 
Set  Off. — The  town  of  Danvers  was  fast  increasing 
in  population,  and  with  its  growth  many  important 
questions  arose.  Here  were  practically  two  large  vil- 
lages, each  having  a  town  hall  in  its  midst,  with  no 
common  interests,  trying  to  conduct  their  affairs  as  a 
common  municipality.  Sectional  feelings  sprang  up, 
caused  in  large  measure  by  the  manner  of  holding  town 
meetings.  When  the  annual  meeting  was  held  in  South 
Danvers,  the  people  there  "packed  the  meeting"  and 
secured  any  vote  or  appropriation  desired.  So  also 
with  North  Danvers, — when  the  meetings  were  held 
there  the  town  orators  left  no  debateable  point  un- 
touched, with  a  result  that  gratified  all  their  desires. 
If  one  section  secured  a  certain  advantage  or  improve- 
ment, there  was  no  peace  until  the  other  obtained  the 
same  or  its  equivalent.  Such  a  state  of  affairs  was  not 
conducive  to  a  successful  and  economical  carrjang  on 
of  a  town's  business.  A  feeling  of  dissatisfaction,  which 
had  been  growing  for  the  past  eighty  jj^ears  in  the  south 
part  of  the  town,  now  (1855)  burst  forth  in  a  petition 
for  a  division  of  the  old  town.  This  was  opposed  to  a 
man,  of  course,  by  the  citizens  of  North  Danvers,  who 
fought  hard  to  keep  the  old  town  intact.  But  it  was 
of  no  avail,  and  on  May  18,  1855,  the  town  of  South 
Danvers,  afterwards  Peabody  (1868)   was  duly  incor- 

(176) 


DANVERS    SINCE    THE    DIVISION  177 

porated,  since  which  time  each  town  has  gone  its  sepa- 
rate waj^  Although  the  division  at  the  time  caused 
much  bitter  feehng,  it  was  in  the  nature  of  things  a 
necessity,  an  act  which  has  in  no  wise  proved  detrimental 
to  either  section. 

Settling  Up  Affairs. — Then  came  the  final  score, 
the  settling  up^  between  the  towns.  The  division  of 
town  paupers,  town  property,  town  debts,  State  and 
county  taxes,  the  management  of  the  Peabody  Institute, 
books  and  records,  and  other  important  matters  had  to 
be  adjusted.  A  committee  from  each  town  w^as  ap- 
pointed for  this  purpose,  consisting  of  William  Dodge, 
Jr.,  Henry  Fowler,  Aaron  Putnam,  Francis  Dodge, 
Nathaniel  Pope,  JNTathan  Tapley,  George  Tapley,  for 
North  Danvers;  George  Osborne,  Henry  Poor,  Robert 
S.  Daniels,  Francis  Baker,  Eben  King  and  Abel  Pres- 
ton for  South  Danvers.  It  was  accomplished,  after  a 
time,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all,  the  final  balance  showing 
that  South  Danvers  was  indebted  to  the  old  town  in 
the  sum  of  $33,931.86. 

Dr.  Joseph  Shed,  who  had  charge  of  the  town  records 
prevous  to  the  division,  was  a  notable  character.  Born 
in  Tewksbury,  June  30,  1782,  he  came  to  Danvers  in 
1807,  keeping  an  apothecary  shop  in  the  south  part  of 
the  town.  He  also  practiced  medicine.  Dr.  Shed  was 
chosen  town  clerk  in  1835,  and  that  he  made  a  model 
one  is  confirmed  by  a  glance  at  the  records  of  that  time. 
During  his  eighteen  years  of  service  he  performed  a 
work  which  will  be  appreciated  more  and  more  as  the 
years  go  by.  In  addition  to  copying  the  old  books  o^ 
births,  marriages  and  deaths,  he  spent  much  time  visit- 
ing the  old  families  of  the  town  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  vital  records  which  previous  clerks  had  failed 

1  Seef  Hon.  Alden  P.  White's  "History  of  Danvers,"  in  Essex  County 
History,  pp.   513-14. 


178  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN\^RS 

to  note.  These  he  arranged  neatly  in  new  books,  accord- 
ing to  families.  The  news  of  Dr.  Shed's  death  was 
received  at  a  town  meeting,  April  10,  1853,  when  reso- 
lutions of  respect  were  passed. 

Roman  Catholic  Church. — The  first  Roman  Cath- 
olic service  in  Dan  vers  was  held  in  the  house  of  Edward 
McKeigue,  Nov.  1,  1854,  when  Rev.  Thos.  H.  Shahan, 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception  Church,  Salem,  officiated. 
Afterwards  regular  services  were  held  at  Franklin  Hall 
in  the  brick  block  on  Maple  street,  now  owned  by  John 
F.  Kirby,  and  later  a  chapel  for  their  use  was  erected 
south  of  High  Street  Cemetery.  When  the  Universal- 
ists  built  their  new  church  (1858),  the  Roman  Catholics 
bought  the  old  structure,  which,  many  times  remodeled, 
is  now  known  as  Annunciation  Church.  The  parish 
includes,  besides  Danvers,  the  towns  of  Middleton  and 
Topsfield.  Land  was  purchased  at  Sylvan  and  Adams 
streets  for  a  cemetery,  and  in  1897  a  large  and  beautiful 
tract  of  land  was  purchased  off  Hobart  street,  where  a 
gateway  marks  the  entrance  to  '^Annunciation  Ceme- 
tery." The  Catholic  Total  Abstinence  Society,  formed 
in  1871,  has  been  a  leading  factor  in  preserving  morality 
and  temperance  in  the  town. 

For  many  years  the  house  known  as  the  Dwinnell 
house,  next  to  the  church  edifice,  was  used  as  a  rectory, 
but  during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Thomas  Power,  the 
old  building  was  removed  and  a  new  rectory  built  in 
the  rear  of  the  church.  The  grounds  were  also  laid  out 
and  improved  in  appearance. 

The  pastors  of  this  church  have  been:  Rev.  Charles 
Ranoni,  1871-1872;  Rev.  Fr.  O'Reilly,  1872;  Rev.  Pat- 
rick J.  Halley,  1873-1882;  Rev.  D.  B.  Kennedy,  1882- 
1885;  Rev.  T.  E.  Power,  1885-1902;  Rev.  Henry  A. 
Sullivan,  1902-1914;  Rev.  Francis  Maley,  1914-1915; 
Rev.  Daniel  F.  Horgan,  1915. 


UNITARIAN   CHURCH 


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CALVARY  (Episcopal)  CHURCH 


MAPLE  STREET  (Congregational)  CHURCH 


ANNUNCIATION  (Roman  Catholic)  CHURCH 


dan^t:rs  since  the  division  179 

Calvary  Episcopal  Church. — This  parish  was 
organized  April  14,  1858,  in  Bank  Hall.  The  first 
rector  was  Rev.  Robert  F.  Chase.  The  present  church, 
corner  Holten  and  Cherry  streets,  was  built  in  1859, 
and  consecrated  by  Bishop  Eastman  the  next  year. 

The  rectors  of  this  church  have  been :  Rev.  Robert  F. 
Chase,  1858-1865;  Rev.  William  W.  Silvester,  1867- 
1868;  Rev.  S.  J.  Evans,  1869-1871;  Rev.  W.  P.  Magill, 
1872-1877;  Rev.  George  Walker,  1877-1888;  Rev.  A. 
W.  Griffin,  1888-1890;  Rev.  J.  W.  Hyde,  1890-1899; 
Rev.  Dr.  Robert  W.  Hudgell,  1899-1904;  Rev.  Marcus 
Carroll,  1904-1907;  Rev.  Henry  W.  Winkley,  1908- 
1918;  Rev.  Nathan  Matthews,  1918. 

Portion  of  Be^terly  Annexed. — The  land  on  the 
east  of  Porter's  river,  now  called  East  Danvers,  up  to 
this  time  (1858)  belonged  to  the  town  of  Beverly.  By 
agreement,  this  territory  was  now  annexed  to  Danvers 
and  the  boundaries  changed. 

Feeling  Before  the  War. — The  strained  conditions 
between  North  and  South  on  account  of  negro  slavery 
increased  with  every  year,  until  mutterings  of  rebellion 
could  be  plainly  heard  along  the  Southern  lines.  "And 
yet,  at  the  North  there  prevailed  an  optimistic  feeHng 
of  security — a  reluctance  to  believe  that  these  brethren 
of  the  South  were  willing  to  sever  a  Union  of  States 
baptized  with  the  blood  of  their  fathers  and  presenting, 
with  all  its  defects,  such  a  grand  illustration  of  a  suc- 
cessful government  by  the  people  and  for  the  people. 
To  the  last,  they  hugged  the  hope  that  the  Southern 
bluster  would  evaporate,  and,  in  some  manner,  the  dif- 
ferences between  the  sections  be  healed.  The  first  shot 
on  Sumter  awakened  the  people  from  this  dream,  and 
although  poorly  prepared  for  war,  they  arose  in  great 
strength  to  the  task  of  preserving  the  Union  at  any 
cost." 


180  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

THE  CIVIL  WAR. 

Preparation  for  War. — A  week  before  the  first 
shot,  which  openly  announced  rebelHon,  was  fired  at 
Fort  Sumter,  the  citizens  of  Danvers,  anticipating  a 
struggle  between  the  North  and  South,  had  called  a 
town  meeting  to  see  if  provision  would  be  made  for  the 
families  of  such  citizens  as  might  enlist  in  the  volunteer 
militia.  But  the  news  from  Fort  Sumter  aroused  the 
people  to  immediate  action,  and  before  the  time  for  the 
petitioned  meeting  arrived,  a  rousing  war  meeting  was 
held,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  enlistments  were 
received. 

Danvers  Light  Infantry. — Danvers  had  no  militia 
company  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  as  had  many 
of  her  sister  towns,  but  the  old  spirit  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary sires  was  not  wanting  in  the  sons  of  '61.  In 
six  days  a  full  roll  was  announced  and  the  company, 
under  command  of  Nehemiah  P.  Fuller,  was  organized 
under  the  name  of  the  Danvers  Light  Infantry.  Quite 
a  number  of  Danvers  men  enlisted  in  Salem  companies 
and  went  to  the  seat  of  war  before  the  Danvers  com- 
panies. Company  drill  soon  began,  eight  hours  a  day 
of  hard  work.  Captain  Fuller  was  a  veteran  soldier, 
having  served  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  was  anxious  to 
have  his  company  present  a  good  appearance.  The  men 
had  no  arms  and  were  boarding  themselves.  In  vain 
did  they  appeal  to  the  Governor  to  assign  them  to  ser- 
vice. Such  a  state  of  affairs  could  not  long  exist,  for 
the  men  had  families  depending  upon  them  and  were 
fast  becoming  discontented.  Finally  the  company  went 
into  camp  at  West  Gloucester,  where,  with  old  muskets 
loaned  them,  and  living  on  the  generosity  of  Danvers 
citizens,  they  managed  to  exist  for  six  weeks.  At  the 
end  of  that  time,  however,  the  men  began  to  grow  dis- 
couraged and  threatened  to  join  a  New  York  regiment 


DANVERS    SINCE    THE   DIVISION  181 

for  immediate  service.  Governor  Andrew  objected  to 
their  leaving  the  Commonwealth,  and  at  last  the  Dan- 
vers  Light  Infantry  was  ordered  to  join  the  17th  Mas- 
sachusetts Volunteers  at  Lynnfield/ 

The  first  military  funeral  of  the  war  in  Danvers  was 
that  of  Thomas  A.  Musgrave  of  Captain  Fuller's  com- 
pany, who  died  August  9,  1861,  from  injuries  received 
in  the  camp  at  Lynnfield.  The  services  were  held  in 
the  Universalist  church  and  were  attended  by  the  whole 
regiment  from  the  Lynnfield  camp.  On  July  22,  1861, 
the  Danvers  Light  Infantry  became  Company  C  of  the 
17th  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  just  a  month  later  left 
for  a  three  years'  service  at  the  front. 

After  a  few  months'  garrison  duty  at  Baltimore,  the 
17th  reported  at  Newbern,  N.  C.  It  was  engaged  at 
Kinston  and  Goldsborough.  On  December  16, 1863,  an 
attack  was  made  on  Newbern  by  a  strong  force  of  the 
enemy,  and  the  17th  lost  heavily  in  repelling  it.  Later 
it  was  engaged  at  Washington,  D.  C.  Subsequently, 
March  8,  1865,  the  regiment  was  heavily  engaged  at 
Wise  Forks,  N.  C,  in  the  advance  made  from  the  coast 
to  connect  with  General  Sherman.  Garrisoning  Greens- 
boro, N.  C,  until  July  11,  1865,  the  regiment  was  then 
mustered  out  of  service. 

The  Putnam  Guards. — A  day  or  two  after  the 
famous  "war  meeting,"  Arthur  A.  Putnam,  then  a 
young  lawyer,  began  to  organize  a  company,  which  was 
later  named  "The  Putnam  Guards."  It  was  composed 
of  50  strong,  j^oung,  able-bodied  men  of  the  town.  It 
made  its  headquarters  in  the  first  floor  of  the  Maple 
Street  School  building.  As  soon  as  commissioned, 
Captain  Putnam  made  an  attempt  to  secure  a  supply 
of  muskets  from  the  State,  but  since  all  organized  com- 
panies in  Massachusetts  were  making  the  same  clamor, 

1  For   names   of   Civil   War   soldiers,   see   "History  of  Danvers,"   pp. 
536-41,  in  Essex  County  History. 


182  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

it  seemed  next  to  impossible  to  procure  the  arms.  At 
last,  however,  through  a  combination  of  influences,  they 
were  secured,  much  to  the  gratification  of  the  entire 
company.  The  receipt  of  the  muskets  lent  much  enthu- 
siasm to  the  cause.  A  majority  of  the  men  had  never 
had  military  training,  but  under  an  able  officer  from  the 
Salem  Cadets,  officers  and  men  soon  learned  the  manual 
of  arms.  The  usual  training  ground  was  "Berry's  pas- 
ture," the  public  park  of  today.  The  company  made 
marches  into  all  the  neighboring  towns.  On  one  occa- 
sion, when  they  invaded  Marblehead,  they  received  a 
great  demonstration,  the  people  throwing  open  their 
doors  at  night  for  a  camp,  and  loading  their  tables  with 
substantial  rations  for  the  soldier  boys. 

On  June  24,  the  Putnam  Guards  reported  at  Fort 
Warren,  and  on  the  5th  of  July  following  were  mus- 
tered into  the  service  of  the  United  States  as  Com- 
pany I,  14th  Volunteer  Infantry.  This  company  was 
transferred,  January  1, 1862,  to  the  First  Massachusetts 
Heaw  Artillery.  It  saw  hard  service  in  many  impor- 
tant battles  of  the  war.  In  1862  it  had  charge  of  the 
heavy  guns  in  different  fortresses  in  the  belt  around 
Washington,  at  Maryland  Heights  and  elsewhere.  In 
General  Pope's  campaign  in  1862,  it  was  ordered  as 
infantry  to  the  front  and  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Centreville.  After  another  period  of  service  in  garri- 
son, it  again  took  the  field.  May  14,  1864,  and  in  Tyler's 
powerful  division  of  heavy  artilleiy  lost  heavily  at 
Spottsylvania.  It  took  a  distinguished  part  in  the  work 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  until  Lee's  surrender. 

Their  Uniforms;  Presentation  of  Banners. — 
No  sooner  had  these  two  companies  been  recruited  than 
the  women  of  the  town  began  to  organize  to  make  uni- 
forms for  the  men.  The  Infantry  were  given  dark  blue 
jackets  and  trousers  with  red  trimmings;  the  Guards, 


DANVERS    SINCE    THE   DIVISION  183 

light  blue,  also  with  red  trimmings.  The  suits  of  the 
officers  of  the  Guards  were  gray,  of  a  shade  similar  to 
that  which  later  became  the  Confederate  color.  The 
townspeople  furnished  the  material,  and  Gothic  Hall, 
now  the  Universalist  vestry,  was  suddenly  transformed 
into  a  grand  tailoring  establishment,  with  the  women 
in  full  charge.  The  uniforms  were  indeed  fearfully  and 
wonderfully  put  together,  and  the  appearance  the  sol- 
diers presented  when  arrayed  in  these  costumes  of  war, 
was  startling  in  the  extreme,  for  they  had  been  made 
with  no  regard  to  size  or  fit,  and  it  was  not  infrequent 
to  see  the  short,  stout  youth  attired  in  a  suit  which  ought 
to  have  been  appropriated  by  his  tall,  thin  comrade. 

Before  their  final  departure,  the  Putnam  Guards 
were  presented  witii  a  flag  of  heavy  silk,  a  silver  plate 
upon  its  oaken  staff  bearing  this  inscription:  "Presented 
to  the  Putnam  Guards  of  Danvers,  Mass.,  by  Miss 
Catherine  Putnam,  daughter  of  a  son  of  Danvers.  Our 
Birthright  is  Freedom  and  God  is  our  Trust.  May, 
1861." 

The  Danvers  Light  Infantry  was  also  given  a  recep- 
tion and  presented  with  a  silk  banner  by  the  citizens ;  a 
sash  and  sword  from  Miss  Putnam  was  presented  Cap- 
tain Fuller.  Both  companies  were  supplied  with  Bibles 
and  Testaments.  Both  banners  are  now  preserved  by 
Ward  Post  90,  G.  A,  R.  Miss  Putnam  lived  in  Peter- 
borough, N.  H.,  and  upon  the  suggestion  of  Mrs.  Julia 
A.  Philbrick,  she  offered  to  give  a  flag  provided  the 
company  be  named  "The  Putnam  Guards." 

Major  D.  J.  Preston,  Capt.  A.  G.  Allen,  Capt.  G. 
W.  Kenney,  and  Capt.  William  Smith  were  the  Dan- 
vers men  in  command  of  troops  at  different  times  during 
the  war.  Lieut.  Charles  H.  Masury  served  as  Captain 
during  the  latter  part  of  his  service. 


184  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

The  First  Struggle. — "During  July  it  was  daily 
expected  that  our  army  would  advance,  and  as  the 
enemy  were  now  known  to  be  in  some  force  in  its  front, 
a  decisive  action  was  anticipated.  The  month  wore  on, 
full  of  earnest  work,  and  with  an  underlying  feeling 
of  suppressed  excitement  and  strained  expectation,  until 
at  last  the  day  came, — that  day  of  sorrow  and  deep 
mortification.  When  the  particulars  were  at  hand,  the 
full  extent  of  the  defeat  at  Bull  Run  struck  the  people 
of  Danvers,  as  the  entire  North,  like  a  blow."  The 
Northern  soldiers  had  expected  easily  to  put  to  rout 
the  rebellious  young  Virginians.  Then  the  war  would 
be  over.  Instead,  the  Union  army,  after  an  encounter, 
fell  back  into  Washington.  No  wonder  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  Southern  forces  cried  out,  "We'll  go  into 
Washington  tonight,  boys,  and  m}^  headquarters  will 
be  at  Willard's  Hotel !"  No  wonder  that  the  Northern 
people,  stunned  at  first,  began  to  grasp  the  full  mean- 
ing of  the  situation,  and  to  realize  that  a  great  war  had 
only  just  begun.  The  South  was  terribly  in  earnest. 
The  novelty  of  the  situation  had  passed.  Men  and 
women  were  sobered,  and  realized  the  heavy  burden  of 
grief  and  loss  that  they  must  bear.  Even  while  the 
Northern  soldiers  were  retreating  to  Washington,  Con- 
gress passed  a  vote  calling  for  500,000  volunteers. 

It  is  impossible  here  to  give  anything  like  an  indi- 
vidual record  of  the  brave  men  who  went  from  Danvers 
during  those  long  four  years.  Both  in  the  army  and 
the  navy  they  were  loyal  to  the  Union.  Each  call  for 
troops  was  quickly  and  fully  responded  to,  in  every 
instance.  At  home  all  the  principal  victories  were  cele- 
brated by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  other  joyful  demon- 
strations. Then  came  the  news  of  those  who  had  fallen 
in  the  struggle,  and  joy  in  many  a  household  was  turned 
to  sorrow  for  the  loved  ones,  whose  faces  they  were  never 
to  see  again.     Scarcely  a  week  passed  that  some  name 


THE  REA-DODGE  HOUSE,  HATHORNE  HILL 
Birthplace  of  Gen.  Francis  S.  Dodge 


jK   i  ;t|' 


THE  SALEM  AND  DANVERS  OMNIBUS  ON  ESSEX  STREET,  SALEM,  i8 
I'roiii  a  broadside  in  possession  of  tlie  Essex  Institute 


PUTNAM-SEARS  HOUSE,  LOCUST  STREET 

Birthplace  of  Elias  Putnam.     In  an  ell  of  this  house,  now  removed, 

Gen.  Grenville  M.  Dodge  was  born. 


^aS^Ml^SQM 


HOUSE  ON  HOI.TEN  STREET,  TAPLEYVILLE 
Formerly  the  Schonlhouse  in  No.  3.     Demolished  in  1895 


DAXTERS    SIXCE    THE    DIVISION  185 

was  not  added  to  the  death  roll,  or  that  did  not  witness 
the  return  of  some  disabled  patriot.  It  would  require 
a  volume  of  itself  to  record  the  trials  and  hardships  of 
the  Danvers  men  during  the  war. 

Soldiers'  Families. — It  was  only  a  few  months  after 
the  first  "war  meeting/'  that  Danvers  began  to  make 
provision  for  the  families  of  those  who  had  volunteered 
in  the  service,  and  be  it  said  to  the  town's  credit,  that 
during  all  the  long  struggle,  such  families  did  not  want 
for  the  necessaries  of  life.  The  war  cost  the  town 
$36,596,  regardless  of  State  aid,  which  figured  up 
to  $66,068.11  more.  Besides  this,  no  one  can  estimate 
the  thousands  of  dollars  in  money,  materials  and  labor 
which  were  freely  given  by  the  townspeople  during 
those  four  years. 

In  the  second  year  of  the  war,  calls  from  the  Presi- 
dent for  men  came  thick  and  fast,  and  the  town  from 
that  time  (July  25)  paid  a  bounty  of  $125  to  every 
man  who  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service, 
whether  volunteer  or  drafted.  Danvers  furnished  792 
men  for  the  war.  Forty-four  were  commissioned  offi- 
cers. Ninety-five  laid  down  their  lives  for  their  country. 
Many  peacefully  lie  in  the  soldiers'  lot  in  Walnut 
Grove;  others  rest  in  more  secluded  sepulchers;  but  by 
far  the  greater  number  still  sleep  upon  the  battlefield. 

End  of  the  War. — "If  the  soldier  of  the  Union 
could  justly  rejoice  in  the  triumph  of  his  cause  and  the 
victory  won,  the  Confederate  soldier,  who  suffered  de- 
feat, shared  in  that  victory.  He,  too,  returned  to  enjoy 
the  blessings  of  a  united  country  and  to  clasp  hands 
across  the  graves  of  tens  of  thousands  of  comrades  who 
had  fallen  on  both  sides,  in  conscientious  devotion  to 
what  both  believed  to  be  a  duty."  Not  one  loyal  heart 
in  this  broad  land  but  felt  truly  thankful  when  the  war 
was  over.    The  Southerners  were  no  longer  our  enemies, 


186  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

but  our  brothers  and  fellow-citizens.  They  had  made 
a  glorious  fight,  then  manfully  surrendered  and  became 
loyal  to  our  flag  and  country.  That  the  Confederate 
soldier  should  still  cherish  the  memory  of  those  long, 
eventful  years  of  battle  and  suffering  is  quite  natural. 
They,  too,  feel  a  comradeship  endeared  by  a  thousand 
ties  and  sealed  by  the  blood  of  their  brothers. 

Distinguished  Service. — One  native  of  Danvers 
who  distinguished  himself  in  the  war,  and  afterwards 
as  chief  engineer  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad, 
was  Gen.  Grenville  M.  Dodge,  who  was  born  in 
Putnam ville,  April  12,  1831,  in  a  house  still  standing. 
He  later  lived  in  Taple;^r^ille,  and  finally  located  in 
Iowa,  where  he  enlisted  in  the  Civil  War.  He  was  the 
trusted  friend  of  both  Generals  Grant  and  Sherman, 
and  his  ability  was  recognized  in  times  of  peace  as  well 
as  war.  His  career  was  one  succession  of  victories,  in 
business  as  well  as  in  militarj^  life.  He  was  concerned 
in  vast  projects,  and  when  confronted  by  opposition  it 
was  to  him  only  the  call  to  battle.  For  this  reason  he 
stood  among  the  gi'eat  men  of  the  nation  throughout 
his  long  life.  He  died  January  3,  1916,  at  Council 
Bluffs,  lowa.^ 

Capt.  Warren  Porter  was  one  of  the  forty-seven  men 
from  this  town  who  served  in  the  Navy.  He  was  an 
experienced  and  competent  sailor  at  the  beginning  of 
the  war,  having  shipped  before  the  mast  in  1849,  and 
was  commissioned  as  Ensign  in  1863,  on  the  U.  S.  S. 
"Savannah."  Shortly  after  he  distinguished  himself 
while  cruising  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  in  the  U.  S.  S, 
"Magnolia."  One  afternoon  the  rebel  steamer  "Mata- 
gorda" was  seen  in  the  distance,  and  chase  was  immedi- 
ately given.  For  a  time  she  was  lost  to  view,  but  only 
for  a  time.    Porter,  with  permanent  injury  to  his  eyes, 

1  See  Danvers  Historical  Collections,  Vol.  2,  p.  67. 


DANVERS    SINCE   THE    DIVISION  187 

sighted  her  long  and  intently  through  the  hawser-hole 
as  the  pursuit  was  continued  for  about  eight  hours,  when 
this  far-famed  blockade  runner  was  overtaken.  Porter 
was  the  first  to  board  her,  and  as  prize-master  he  took 
the  ship  to  Boston,  when,  with  her  cargo,  she  was  sold 
for  $355,000.  He  was  at  once  promoted  to  commander 
of  the  U.  S.  S.  "Nita,"  later  the  U.  S.  S.  "Sunflower," 
and  afterwards  captured  several  smaller  vessels,  still 
scouring  the  seas  until  his  discharge  at  the  close  of  the 
war.  Captain  Porter  was  son  of  Col.  Warren  Porter, 
and  in  later  life  was  a  practicing  dentist  in  Salem. 

Brigadier-General  Francis  S.  Dodge,  also  a  native 
of  Danvers,  is  another  who  has  brought  honor  to  the 
place  of  his  birth.  He  was  the  son  of  Francis  and  Re- 
becca (Brown)  Dodge,  born  in  1842,  at  the  old  Dodge 
homestead,  which  stood  on  the  top  of  Hathorne  hill  and 
which  was  removed  when  the  Hospital  was  erected.  At 
the  age  of  nineteen,  in  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  army,  in 
the  famous  company  of  Col.  George  M.  Whipple  of 
Salem,  "Whipple's  Jewels."  His  entire  service  of  four 
years  was  distinguished  by  unusual  bravery  under  fire, 
which  earned  for  him  a  Captaincy  in  the  2d  U.  S.  Cav- 
alry in  1865.  Four  years'  service  apparently  had  not 
impaired  his  taste  for  militarj'-  life,  and  in  1866  he 
received  an  appointment  in  the  regular  army.  As  Cap- 
tain of  the  9th  Cavalry,  from  1867  to  1879,  during  which 
time  he  took  part  in  some  of  the  most  thrilling  conflicts 
with  the  Indians  in  the  West,  he  was  breveted  and 
received  a  vote  of  thanks  from  the  Wyoming  legisla- 
ture and  a  medal  from  Congress.  In  further  recogni- 
tion of  his  services  the  President,  in  1879,  made  him  a 
Christmas  present  of  the  appointment  of  Paymaster. 
From  that  time  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Spanish 
war  his  work  often  took  him  to  the  remotest  parts  of 

1  See  Essex  Institute  Hist.  Coll.,  Vol.  46,  p.  97. 


188  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

the  country,  and  in  1896  he  was  promoted  to  Chief 
Paymaster  of  the  Department  of  Texas.  In  1898,  he 
was  transferred  to  Atlanta,  as  Chief  Paymaster  of  the 
Department  of  the  Gulf,  and  in  the  summer  of  that 
year  was  ordered  to  Santiago,  Cuba,  and  thence  to 
Porto  Rico,  sailing  with  18  safes  containing  a  million 
dollars,  stowed  away  in  two  staterooms.  He  also  had 
charge  of  the  payment  of  the  three  million  dollars  or- 
dered by  our  government  to  be  paid  to  the  Cuban  army. 
In  1901  General  Dodge,  then  holding  the  rank  of 
Major,  became  Lieutenant- Colonel  and  Deputy  Pay- 
master-General, and  in  1904  he  was  appointed  Pay- 
master-General with  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General. 

General  Dodge  contracted  the  yellow  fever  in  Cuba, 
which  seriously  impaired  his  health,  but  upon  his  retire- 
ment in  1906,  he  bought  a  house  in  Washington,  expect- 
ing to  make  it  his  home.  He  passed  away  February  19, 
1908,  and  was  buried  in  the  National  Cemetery  at  Ar- 
lington. General  Dodge  had  a  high  sense  of  honor  in 
public  and  private  life;  loyalty  to  his  country  and  liis 
friends  were  marked  characteristics,  with  intolerance  of 
deceit,  dishonesty  and  shams.^ 

Soldiers'  Monument;  The  G.  A.  R. — Three  years 
after  the  close  of  the  war  (1868)  a  soldiers'  monument 
was  proposed,  to  be  erected  by  the  town  in  memory  of 
the  men  who  were  killed.  For  two  years  the  matter 
was  discussed  in  town  meetings,  the  location  being  the 
great  bone  of  contention.  Some  favored  Peabody  Park, 
others  the  Training  Field  at  the  Highlands;  but  at 
length  the  site  in  front  of  Town  Hall  was  agreed  upon 
as  the  most  central  and  suitable.  The  monument  was 
dedicated  on  Nov.  30,  1870.    On  its  sides  are  inscribed 

1  See  Essex  Institute  Hist.  Coll.,  Vol.  46,  p.  97. 


DAN  VERS    SINCE    THE    DIVISION  189 

the  names^  of  the  95  men  from  Danvers  who  lost  their 
lives.  Its  cost  was  $6,298.20,  toward  which  sum  Edwin 
Mudge,  Esq.,  contributed  the  larger  part  of  his  salary 
for  his  two  years'  service  in  the  Legislature.  The  mon- 
ument is  of  Hallowell  granite,  33^/4  feet  high  and  7% 
feet  square  at  the  base. 

In  1869  the  local  post  of  the  Grand  Army  was  organ- 
ized, and  was  named  Ward  Post,  No.  90,  in  memory 
of  the  two  Ward  brothers  who  died  in  the  service.  Its 
main  object,  to  care  for  the  families  of  the  veterans  of 
the  war,  has  been  faithfully  carried  out,  in  which  work 
the  townspeople  have  ahvays  lent  a  willing  hand.  Ward 
Relief  Corps,  its  woman's  auxiliary  organization,  has 
been  most  efficient  in  assisting  in  the  charitable  work 
of  the  post,  and  the  George  J.  Sanger  Sons  of  Veterans 
has  also  aided.  A  few  years  after  the  organization  of 
the  Post,  the  town  made  an  appropriation  for  the  decor- 
ation of  soldiers'  graves  on  Memorial  Da}'-,  May  30,  a 
custom  which  still  continues. 

1  Major  Wallace  A.  Putnam,  Lieut.  James  Hill,  Hector  A.  Aiken, 
Henry  F.  Allen,  James  Battye,  Edwin  Beckford,  Isaac  Bodwell,  Syl- 
vester Brown,  James  H.  Burrows,  Lewis  Britton,  John  H.  Bridges, 
William  H.  Croft,  Simeon  Coffin,  H.  Cuthbertson,  Thomas  Collins, 
William  H.  Channell,  Charles  W.  Dodge,  George  H.  Dwinell,  Moses 
Deland,  William  C.  Dale,  George  A.  Ewell,  George  W.  Earl,  Eeuben 
Ellis,  George  A.  Elliott,  William  S.  Evans,  Nathaniel  P.  Fish,  Benjamin 
M.  Fuller,  Ephraim  Getchell,  E.  I.  Getchell,  William  P.  Gilford,  John 
Goodwin,  C.  W.  C.  Goudy,  Alonzo  Gray,  Daniel  H.  Gould,  Samuel  S. 
Grout,  Ambrose  Hinds,  Levi  Howard,  James  J.  Hurley,  Thomas  Hart- 
man,  Abiel  A.  Home,  James  H.  Ham,  Everson  Hall,  Charles  Hiller, 
T.  C.  Jeffs,  William  W.  Jessup,  James  W.  Kelley,  IMoses  A.  Kent, 
James  E.  Lowell,  Samuel  A.  Lefl9au,  Joseph  Leavitt,  Charles  H.  Lyons, 
Charles  E.  IMeader,  John  Merrill,  T.  A.  Musgrave,  James  Morgan, 
Michael  McAuliff,  William  IMetzger,  Allen  Nourse,  William  H.  Ogden, 
William  H.  Parker,  George  W.  Peabody,  J.  Frank  Perkins,  George  W. 
Porter,  Samuel  M.  Porter,  Alfred  Porter,  Robert  W.  Putnam,  Isaac 
N.  Roberts,  S.  P.  Richardson,  S.  A.  Rodgers,  Israel  Roach,  Daniel 
Smith,  Henry  A.  Smith,  William  E.  Sheldon,  Charles  W.  Sheldon,  John 
Shackley,  Frank  Scampton,  Cornelius  Sullivan,  Patrick  F.  Shea,  Joseph 
T.  Smart,  Edward  Splane,  Milford  Tedford,  Patrick  Trainer,  William 
F.  Tu'iss,  John  N.  TTiompson,  Austin  Upton,  Angus  Ward,  William 
Ward,  Joseph  Woods,  C.  E.  M.  Welch,  George  Woodman,  John  Withey, 
Nathaniel  K.  Wells,  George  T,  Whitney,  Joseph  F.  Wiggin,  Charles 
H.  Young. 


190  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

Noted  Scientist, — Among  Essex  County  scientific 
men,  there  is  none  who  achieved  greater  success  than 
Prof.  John  H.  Sears,  for  many  j^ears  curator  of  geology 
and  mineralogy  in  the  Peabody  Academy  of  Science  in 
Salem.  He  was  born  in  Putnamville,  June  18,  1843, 
the  son  of  John  A.  Sears,  one  of  the  early  shoe  manu- 
facturers there.  The  house  in  which  he  was  born,  known 
now  as  the  Lawrence  W.  Jenkins  house,  was  his  home 
until  his  father  built  the  house  now  owned  by  W.  W. 
Wilkins.  The  farm  house  to  which  his  father  finally 
removed,  now  known  as  the  Sears  farm,  was  at  one  time 
the  home  of  Hon.  Elias  Putnam,  and  in  a  part  of  this 
house,  since  moved  to  another  location,  Gen.  Grenville 
M.  Dodge  was  born.  It  is  a  house  of  much  interest  to 
Danvers.  From  early  life  Professor  Sears  was  a  stu- 
dent of  the  natural  features  of  his  native  town,  which 
work  developed  in  later  years  to  include  the  whole  of 
Essex  County.  He  contributed  to  many  scientific  pub- 
lications, and  his  life  work,  "The  Geology  of  Essex 
County,"  published  a  few  j^ears  before  his  death  in  1910, 
is  invaluable. 

Unitarian  Church. — Up  to  this  time  families  of 
the  Unitarian  faith  had  attended  the  Universalist 
church,  but  in  1865  a  distinctly  Unitarian  society  was 
formed,  principally  through  the  influence  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Philip  H.  Wentworth.  Services  were  held  in 
Town  Hall  for  six  years,  and  in  1871,  Unity  Chapel 
was  erected  and  dedicated.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev. 
L.  J.  Livermore,  who  preached  here  from  1867  to  1886. 
Other  ministers  have  been:  Rev.  John  C.  Mitchell, 
1887-89;  Rev.  Eugene  De  Normandie,  1890-97;  Rev. 
Kenneth  E.  Evans,  1897-1902;  Rev.  John  Haynes 
Holmes,  1902-1904;  Rev.  Edward  H.  Brenan,  1908- 
1911;  Rev.  Edward  H.  Cotton,  1912-1920  (union  with 
Universalists  during  Mr.  Cotton's  pastorate)  ;  Rev.  Mr. 
Hayes,  1921-22;  Rev.  Llewellyn  A.  Owen,  1922. 


DANVERS    SINCE    THE    DIVISION  191 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — An  attempt  had 
been  made  previously  to  organize  a  Methodist  church 
at  the  Plains,  but  it  was  not  successful.  Tapleyville  had 
no  place  of  worship  near  at  hand,  and  the  erection  of 
the  Methodist  church  in  that  section  was  the  outcome 
of  a  demand  for  religious  services.  The  church  was 
built  in  1873,  after  holding  meetings  in  Lincoln  hall 
for  a  year  or  two.  Throuorh  the  generosity  of  Col.  Gil- 
bert Tapley  and  his  son,  Gilbert  A.  Tapley,  the  society 
received  the  gift  of  a  valuable  lot  of  land  and  a  sub- 
stantial sum  of  money.  The  ministers  of  this  church 
have  been:  Rev.  Ehas  Hodge.  1872-1875;  Rev.  R.  H. 
Howard,  1875-1877;  Rev.  Garrett  Beekman,  1877- 
1880;  Rev.  W.  J.  Hambleton,  1880-1883;  Rev.  W.  M. 
Ayres,  1883-1886;  Rev.  C.  A.  Merrill,  1886-1888;  Rev. 
J.'H.  Thompson,  1888-1891;  Rev.  L.  W.  Adams,  1891- 
1894;  Rev.  W.  F.  Lawford,  1894-1897;  Rev.  H.  H. 
Paine,  1897-1898;  Rev.  H.  B.  King,  1898-1901;  Rev. 
George  E,  Sanderson,  1901-1904;  Rev.  WilHam  M. 
Cassidv,  1904-1909;  Rev.  Nathaniel  B.  Fisk,  1909- 
1911;  JRev.  Edward  T.  Curnick,  1911-1917;  Rev.  Jona- 
than Cartmill,  1917. 

Seventh  Day  Advent. — In  the  summer  of  1877,  a 
large  tent  was  erected  on  Hobart  street,  where  Ropes' 
grain  store  now  stands.  Large  congregations  heard 
Elder  Canright  expound  the  doctrines  of  this  faith  and 
many  were  converted.  In  1878  the  chapel  on  Putnam 
street  was  erected. 

Danvers  Water  System. — The  old-fashioned  hand 
engines,  including  the  "General  Scott"  at  Tapleyville, 
the  "Ocean"  at  Danversport,  and  the  "General  Put- 
nam" at  the  Plains,  were  the  only  apparatus  in  use  in 
Danvers  up  to  1873,  when  the  first  steamer  was  pur- 
chased and  named  the  "General  Putnam."  Water  for 
drinking  purposes  was  obtained  from  wells,  while  rain- 


192  CHBONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

water  served  for  other  household  uses.  The  town  pro- 
vided reservoirs  or  wells  sunk  in  the  ground  at  con- 
venient intervals  on  the  principal  streets,  several  of 
which  may  still  he  seen  where  modern  road-building  has 
not  obliterated  them. 

The  matter  of  a  water  system  first  came  before  the 
town  in  1873.  On  April  24,  1874,  the  Danvers  Water 
Act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature,  authorizing  the  town 
to  take  water  from  both  Middleton  and  Swan's  ponds 
and  to  construct  works  at  a  cost  of  not  more  than 
$300,000.  Just  here  an  alty  of  the  new  water  project 
appeared.  The  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  in 
1873,  looking  about  for  a  location  for  the  new  hospital 
for  the  insane,  selected  Hathorne  hill  in  Danvers.  The 
institution  would  of  necessity  require  a  large  quantity 
of  water,  and  the  Commonwealth  agreed  to  co-operate 
with  the  town  in  building  the  system,  which  was  com- 
pleted in  1876  by  Contractor  George  H.  Normon.  The 
Commonwealth  built  the  reservoir  on  the  hill  and  pays 
the  town  annually  for  the  use  of  water.  The  water  is 
pumped  from  Middleton  and  Swan's  ponds  to  the  reser- 
voirs, and  the  force  was  found  to  be  so  great  that  the 
fire  steamer  which  was  purchased  by  the  town  four  years 
before  was  considered  needless,  and  was  accordingly 
sold.    A  new  reservoir  on  Wills  Hill  was  built  in  1895. 

Danvers  State  Hospital. — Work  on  the  immense 
brick  building  was  begun  in  1874  and  completed  four 
years  later.  Additions  and  improvements  have  been 
made  from  time  to  time,  and  in  1897  a  nurses'  home  was 
erected  near  the  main  building,  a  school  for  trained 
nurses  having  been  established  in  1889.  The  original 
cost  of  the  building  and  land  was  $1,599,287.49.  The 
hospital  is  a  settlement  in  itself,  the  number  of  inmates 
in  1923  being  about  1,600.  Hathorne  hill  is  240  feet 
above  the  sea  level.    It  received  its  name  from  the  fact 


DANVERS  STATE  HOSPITAL 


INDEPENDENT  AGRICULTURAL  SCHOOL  OF  THE  COUNTY  OF  ESSEX,  AT  HATHORNE 


DAN  VERS    SINCE    THE   DIVISION  193 

that  its  first  owner  was  Major  William  Hathorne,  who 
was  the  emigrant  ancestor  of  Nathaniel  Hawthorne. 
This  institution  is  a  noticeable  landmark  for  miles 
around,  commanding  a  view  of  ocean  and  hills  that  is 
unsurpassed. 

Introduction  of  the  Tet-ephone. — Danvers  was 
one  of  the  first  towns  to  experiment  with  the  new  inven- 
tion, the  telephone,  very  soon  after  the  successful  trials 
at  Salem  in  the  autumn  of  1877,  bj^  Prof.  Alexander 
Graham  Bell  and  Thomas  Watson  had  astonished  the 
country.  It  was  exhibited  at  a  fair  held  by  the  Univer- 
salist  Society  in  Gothic  Hall  in  December,  1877,  as  an 
attraction  advertised  for  afternoons  and  evenings,  "with 
one  end  at  the  hall  and  the  other  at  H.  H.  Pillsbury's 
new  building  on  Maple  street" — next  to  the  present 
Wheelright  building.  The  Mirror  account  states  that 
"the  Bell  telephone  worked  perfectly  and  was  a  source 
of  much  wonder  and  interest  to  a  large  number.  This 
wonderful  instrument  was  first  shown  to  the  public  at 
Salem,  some  six  months  ago,  and  since  that  time  has 
attained  a  world-wide  fame,  the  demand  for  them  being 
so  great  in  this  country  that  it  cannot  be  readily  sup- 
plied." A  local  sheet,  The  Meteor,  published  in  con- 
nection with  the  fair,  gives  the  following  information : 

"Messrs.  Stearns  &  George  of  Boston,  agents  of  the 
Bell  Telephone  Company,  on  Monday  ran  a  wire  from 
the  hall  of  the  north  entrance  of  this  church,  over  the 
Danvers  Hotel,  across  the  square  to  J.  F.  Porter's  fur- 
niture store,  thence  to  Deacon  F.  Howe's  dwelling,  over 
Mr.  Stimpson's  house  and  into  the  second  story  of  Mr. 
H.  H.  Pillsbury's  harness  shop,  between  his  dwelling 
and  W.  M.  Currier's  store.  The  telephone  was  ready 
for  action  at  3  o'clock,  when  for  half  an  hour  the  writer 
and  several  gentlemen  indulged  in  a  conversation  over 
the  wire,  an  eighth  of  a  mile  in  length,  which  was  most 


194  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

pleasing  and  satisfactory.  Talking,  laughing,  whistling 
and  singing  was  correctly  and  distinctly  transmitted,  as 
rapidly  as  could  be  uttered.  We  anticipate  much  pleas- 
ure and  considerable  money  from  the  use  of  the  newly 
discovered  electrical  wonder,  during  this  three-days' 
Fair.  People  who  may  wish  to  observe  its  working  with- 
out visiting  the  Hall,  can  do  so  at  jNIr.  Pillsbury's  build- 
ing any  afternoon  and  evening,  for  which  ten  cents 
admission  will  be  charged." 

After  these  experiments  at  Gothic  Hall,  the  Danvers 
Miri'or  records,  on  Feb.  23,  1878,  that  Powers'  drug 
store  and  Dr.  Lewis  Foss'  dentist  office,  on  opposite 
sides  of  Maple  street,  had  connected  their  establish- 
ments by  a  linen  string  terminating  in  tin  dippers,  "into 
which  they  can  speak  and  be  distinctly  heard  by  one 
another.  It  works  perfectly,  although  the  distance  is 
some  200  feet,  and  delivers  its  messages  as  clearly  as  did 
the  Bell  telephone  on  exhibition."  This  line  was  in- 
stalled by  Fred  Couch,  a  clerk  in  Powers'  drug  store, 
whose  brother,  Perley  Couch,  had  already  connected  his 
father's  house  and  carpenter's  shop  on  Oak  street.  The 
next  month  this  paper  further  records  that  "The  tele- 
phone is  becoming  a  mania.  The  latest  is  between  the 
stores  of  Andrew  Elwell  and  Henry  Newhall."  These 
were  probably  experimental  private  lines. 

Editor  Charles  H.  Shepard,  in  the  Danvers  Mirror 
of  July  26,  1880,  describes  the  introduction  of  the  wires 
of  the  telephone  company  into  Danvers  as  follows:  "The 
telephone  reached  Danvers  from  Salem,  and  established 
an  office  at  the  clothing  store  of  Mr.  Andrew  Elwell, 
corner  of  Maple  and  Elm  streets,  last  Monday  after- 
noon. For  a  few  days  our  citizens  are  invited  to  call 
and  examine  its  working.  We  gave  it  a  trial  Tuesdaj^ 
calling  for  Mr.  N.  A.  Horton  of  the  Salem  Ga:2ette, 
whose  office  is  connected  with  the  wires  in  Salem.  Mr. 
Elwell  gave  us  a  few  points  on  the  management  of  the 


DANVERS    SINCE    THE    DIVISION  195 

thing,  after  which  we  turned  a  little  crank  and  placing 
the  receiver  to  our  ear  heard  a  quick  response  of  'Hello'; 
to  which  we  answered  to  the  little  box  on  the  wall  'Hello/ 
and  then  said  we  would  like  to  speak  with  Mr.  Horton. 
This  was  speaking  with  the  Central  office  at  Salem,  and 
keeping  the  bell  at  our  ear  were  soon  greeted  with  a 
sweet  and  tuneful  'Hello,'  to  which  we  said  again,  in 
our  most  pleasing  accents,  'Hello,'  and  then  the  sweet 
voice  replied,  'You  can  now  speak  with  Mr.  Horton,' 
— and  that  was  the  last  we  heard  of  it.  But  before  those 
musical  tones  had  ceased  to  flutter  in  our  ear,  they  were 
driven  away  by  a  gruff,  'Who  speaks?'  and  we  replied 
to  the  little  box,  "Shepard — good  morning,  Mr.  Hor- 
ton.' Then  followed  a  pleasant  conversation  in  which 
we  were  able  to  communicate  a  report  just  heard  of  the 
drowning  of  a  Mr.  Symonds  and  his  son  in  Topsfield 
the  day  before,  and  which  furnished  an  item  of  Tops- 
field  news  in  the  3Iercury  printed  that  day."  He  fur- 
ther says  that  he  was  instructed  to  stand  back  some 
two  feet  from  the  transmitter  when  speaking,  which  he 
said  made  the  voice  sound  much  clearer.  The  line  was 
then  completed  between  Danvers  and  Boston,  and  was 
to  be  extended  to  Haverhill  and  Newburyport,  and 
from  there  back  to  Salem.  The  rate  for  messages  had 
not  been  announced. 

By  September,  it  was  connected  with  Boston,  Lynn, 
Swampscott,  Nahant,  Danvers,  Topsfield,  Peabody, 
LaAvrence,  Lowell,  Haverhill  and  Newburyport.  In 
October  a  telephone  office  was  established  at  Danvers- 
port,  at  the  old  store  of  Mead  &  Webb.  In  November, 
the  line  was  extended  through  Elm  and  Holten  streets 
to  N.  P.  Merriam's  store,  where  an  office  was  opened  at 
Taple\wille.  In  July,  1881,  the  office  was  moved  from 
Elweli's  to  Powers'  drug  store,  now  the  Ropes  Drug 
Company,  the  former  not  caring  to  keep  it  at  the  price 
allowed  by  the  company,  and  the  next  year  the  "Asylum 


196  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

line"  at  the  Plains  was  moved  from  the  postoffice  to 
Powers'  store  also.  On  April  29,  1882,  communication 
with  Portland,  Me.,  was  first  opened,  the  line  from 
Salem  having  been  completed.  In  1882  there  was  ap- 
parently an  exchange  in  town,  as  there  is  an  item  to  the 
effect  that  the  exchange  was  to  be  removed  to  Peabody, 
there  not  being  a  sufficient  number  of  subscribers  to 
warrant  the  expense.  The  public  office  was  still  main- 
tained at  Powers'  drug  store,  where  a  telegraph  office 
was  also  located.  In  1882,  the  company  was  known  as 
the  Boston  and  Northern,  and  in  1886  it  became  the 
New  England  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company. 
The  Danvers  exchange  was  opened  in  Perry's  block  in 
1899,  and  in  1912  it  was  removed  to  its  present  building 
on  Page  street. 

Street  Railway. — During  the  year  1884,  the  streets 
of  Danvers  were  treated  to  an  unfamiliar  process  of 
digging  and  laying  rails  for  the  new  street  railway  from 
Salem.  Trips  were  first  made  with  horse-cars  to  the 
Square,  and  as  soon  as  possible  thereafter,  the  Hathorne 
(1888),  Putnamville  and  Highlands  routes  were  con- 
structed. The  fare  was  established  at  ten  cents,  and  as 
soon  as  the  new  road  was  in  active  operation  the  old 
coach  line  to  Salem  was  forced  out  of  existence.  The 
horse-car  was  succeeded  by  the  trollej^-car  in  1892.  In 
1889,  the  first  cars  between  Beverly  and  Danvers  were 
put  in  operation,  and  in  1885  the  Salem  line  from  Dan- 
vers connecting  with  Peabody  was  opened. 

Danvers  Women's  Association. — In  1882,  a  call 
was  sent  to  many  women  of  the  town  to  meet  at  the 
home  of  Miss  Anne  L.  Page,  for  the  purpose  of  form- 
ing an  organization  for  consideration  of  matters  of  com- 
mon interest,  furtherance  of  woman's  work,  general 
improvement  and  social  intercourse.  Thus,  from  these 
smaU  beginnings,  has  developed  the  important  and  sue- 


DANVERS    SINCE    THE   DIVISION  197 

cessfiil  woman's  club,  numbering  today  440  members. 
The  first  meetings  were  held  at  private  houses,  but  soon 
Grand  Army  Hall  was  secured  until  1884,  when  rooms 
were  fitted  up  in  the  Ropes  building  especially  for  their 
use.  Later  they  occupied  the  two  upper  floors  of  the 
C.  N.  Perley  building,  known  then  as  the  Postofiice 
building,  and  during  recent  years  the  large  membership 
has  necessitated  the  use  of  Town  Hall.  This  organiza- 
tion has  been  a  main  factor  in  breaking  down  sectional 
and  religious  barriers  and  in  promoting  good  fellowship 
among  all  the  women  of  the  tovni. 

The  Presidents  of  the  Danvers  Women's  Association 
have  been:   Harriet  L.  Wentworth,  1882-89;  Ellen  A. 
Spofford,  1889-91;  Evelyn  F.  Masury,  1891-96;  Sarah 
E.  Hunt,  1896-99;  Mary  W.  Nichols,  1899-1902;  Isa- 
dora E.  Kenney,  1902-04;  Kate  R.  Crowley,  1904-07 
Ella  J.  Porter,  1907-08  ;Evelyn  F.  Masury,  1908-11 
Sarah  E.  Hunt,  1911-14;  Ehzabeth  F.  Hood,  1914-17 
Minerva  H.  Strong,  1917-18;  Nellie  C.  Preston,  1918- 
20;  Maria  Grey  Kimball,  1920. 

Danvers  Improvement  Society. — The  desire  of 
several  citizens  of  Danvers  to  form  a  society  for  the 
improvement  of  the  general  appearance  of  the  town, 
resulted  in  1886  in  the  organization  of  the  Danvers  Im- 
provement Society,  which  was  instrumental  in  having 
fences  taken  away,  lawns  kept  in  good  order,  unsightly 
obstacles  removed,  and  in  the  observation  of  Arbor  Day 
for  the  planting  of  trees.  In  1894,  at  the  instigation  of 
members  of  the  society,  the  town  appointed  a  Forester, 
which  has  helped  to  make  Danvers  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful towns  in  the  State,  on  account  of  the  care  taken 
of  the  wonderful  trees  on  its  streets.  These  natural 
attractions  invariably  elicit  the  admiration  of  the 
stranger.  The  dense  and  beautiful  foliage  in  summer 
and  autumn  is  a  delight  to  the  artistic  eye,  while  there 


198  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

is  hardly  a  street  in  town,  no  matter  how  obscure,  that 
cannot  boast  of  a  wealth  of  trees.  This  society  has 
proved  a  stimulus  for  the  improvement  of  estates,  as 
well  as  public  property,  and  has  successfully  urged  the 
advice  of  the  old  Scotch  laird  to  his  son,  "Be  always 
sticking  out  a  tree,  for  that  grows  while  you  are  asleep." 

The  public  park  on  Conant  street,  which  had  been 
laid  out  as  a  trotting  park  and  used  as  such  for  many 
years,  was  purchased  from  the  estate  of  Eben  G.  Berry 
with  funds  raised  by  the  society,  and  presented  to  the 
town  in  1913.  Here  trees  and  shrubs  have  been  planted 
and  an  athletic  field  laid  out,  which,  with  playgrounds 
for  the  children,  will  be  more  and  more  appreciated  as 
time  goes  on.  With  more  funds  available,  this  plot  of 
ground,  bordering  on  a  pretty  stream  of  water,  will  be 
developed  into  one  of  the  town's  beauty  spots.  A  Park 
Commission,  which  was  first  chosen  in  1913,  has  charge 
of  this  and  other  parks  of  the  town. 

The  Presidents  of  the  Society  have  been:  Dudley  A. 
Massey,  1886-1893;  Dr.  W.  "W.  Eaton,  1893-1910; 
Hon.  J.  Frank  Porter,  1910-1913;  Hon.  George  B. 
Sears,  1913-1923. 

Danvers  Historical  Society. — This  society  was 
organized  in  1889  at  the  instigation  of  Rev.  Alfred  P. 
Putnam,  D.  D.,  who  was  its  President  for  many  years. 
He  was  the  son  of  Hon.  Elias  Putnam,  and  was  born 
in  Danvers,  January  10,  1827.  At  the  age  of  15  he 
entered  the  Village  Bank,  of  which  his  father  was  Presi- 
dent, and  later  worked  for  a  short  time  as  a  bookkeeper 
in  Boston.  He  decided  to  attend  college,  and  having 
fitted  at  Pembroke,  N.  H.,  he  entered  Dartmouth,  re- 
maining a  year.  The  subsequent  three  years  were  spent 
at  Brown  University,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1852, 
and  Avhich  conferred  the  degree  of  D.  D.  upon  him  in 
1871.    After  teaching  in  his  native  town  three  months. 


f^ 

^^^^^^^^Hf    --s!^'  ^/ttSsM 

^^^H  4H| 

kI^  ^19^^^^^^^^! 

^^^^^^^^^K  ^'""'^'imH 

Hkyj 

^^^^^H|^  *       jf       »PI^4|P 

THE  REV.  ALFRED  PORTER  PUTNAM,  D.  D. 


rs 


DANVERS    SINCE    THE    DIVISION  199 

he  entered  the  Harvard  Divinity  School,  graduating  in 
1855,  and  settHng  in  Roxbiuy  as  pastor  of  a  Unitarian 
church.  The  next  year  he  was  married  to  Louisa  P. 
Preston  of  Danvers,  who  died  in  1860.  Two  years  later 
he  made  an  extensive  tour  of  Europe  and  the  Holy 
Land,  remaining  abroad  over  a  year,  and  gathering 
information  which  he  later  incorporated  in  a  series  of 
lectures.  In  1864,  he  received  a  call  to  the  wealthy  and 
influential  First  Unitarian  Society  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
where  he  continued  to  labor  for  more  than  22  years. 
In  1865,  he  married  Eliza  K.  Buttrick  of  Concord, 
Mass.,  who  passed  awaj^  in  1922.  His  work  in  Brook- 
lyn, not  only  in  his  own  parish,  but  in  the  city  at  large, 
was  recognized  by  electing  him  to  positions  of  honor  and 
trust  in  many  charitable  enterprises.  He  was  instru- 
mental in  forming  the  Third  Unitarian  Church  in 
Brooklyn.  So  greatly  did  he  endear  himself  to  the 
people  of  his  parish  that  in  1883,  when  his  health  began 
to  fail  under  his  accumulating  labors,  they  sent  him 
abroad  for  six  months  at  the  expense  of  the  parish.  He 
returned  to  his  post,  but  his  health  did  not  prove  equal 
to  the  demands  and  he  resigned,  to  the  great  regret  of 
the  church  and  the  city  with  which  he  had  been  identi- 
fied for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century.  His  parish  ten- 
dered him  a  substantial  testimonial  of  their  love  and 
respect  when  he  departed.  The  books  which  he  pub- 
lished are  numbered  by  the  hundred.  In  the  lecture 
field  he  was  a  notable  success,  his  rich  and  musical  voice, 
pure  and  well  chosen  English,  and  the  personal  charms 
of  the  finished  speaker,  made  his  words  a  delight  to  the 
listener. 

Dr.  Putnam's  interest  in  local  history  and  especially 
in  the  work  of  the  Danvers  Historical  Society  was  un- 
tiring. His  love  for  his  native  town  strengthened  with 
the  years,  and  his  return,  after  a  long  life  of  distin- 
guished service,  to  spend  his  last  years  near  his  ancestral 


200  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

home  was  a  source  of  much  gratification  to  him.  He 
died  in  Salem,  May  15,  1906,  a  memorial  service  being 
held  in  the  Unitarian  Church,  Danvers,  on  June  3,  fol- 
lowing. 

Other  Presidents  have  been  Judge  Alden  P.  White, 
1906-1913;  William  B.  Sullivan,  1913-1915;  and  Charles 
H.  Preston,  1915. 

The  Historical  Society  has  in  its  possession  many 
valuable  books,  pictures,  manuscripts  and  museum  ob- 
jects of  especial  interest  to  Danvers.  In  1914  the  society 
purchased  the  historic  Page  house  and  moved  it  to  its 
present  location  on  Page  street,  as  its  headquarters. 
The  last  occupant,  Anne  L.  Page,  who  died  in  1913, 
was  a  pioneer  in  the  kindergarten  movement  in  this 
state,  conducting  a  school  at  the  North  End  in  Boston 
for  many  years,  and  later  a  normal  kindergarten  train- 
ing school  at  the  Page  house. 

Gen.  Israel  Putnam  Chapter. — This  local  Chapter 
of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  was 
organized  in  1895.  Through  the  activities  of  the  mem- 
bers, a  bronze  tablet  was  placed  on  General  Putnam's 
birthplace  in  1897,  and  in  1900,  a  memorial  tablet  to 
Judge  Holten  was  placed  in  the  assembly  hall  of  the 
Holten  High  School.  In  1915,  a  drinking  fountain  was 
placed  in  Danvers  Square,  in  memory  of  soldiers  and 
sailors  from  Danvers  who  served  in  the  American  Revo- 
lution. In  1921,  the  Judge  Samuel  Holten  house,  at 
Holten  Square,  was  purchased  and  is  being  restored  as 
a  memorial  to  that  distinguished  Danvers  patriot.  The 
eastern  end  is  the  original  house,  which  was  built  about 
1670  by  Benjamin  Holten,  in  whose  family  it  remained 
until  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  when  Judge 
Holten's  father  purchased  it  and  made  extensive  alter- 
ations and  additions.  In  1777,  upon  the  marriage  of  a 
dauo-hter  of  Samuel  Holten,  another  addition  was  made 


<;  ^ 

•-'      o 

r  ^ 


X  Ji 


DAN  VERS    SINCE    THE    DIVISION  201 

to  the  western  side,  converting  it  into  a  two-family 
house,  as  the  double  porch  suggests.  The  room  on  the 
back  at  the  eastern  end,  called  the  "garden  room,"  was 
built  at  a  later  date,  probably  about  1825,  as  indicated 
by  the  Grecian  design  used  in  the  finish.  Descendants 
of  Judge  Holten  continued  in  possession  of  this  prop- 
erty until  about  the  time  of  the  Civil  War,  when  it  was 
sold  to  Thomas  Palmer,  from  whom  the  Chapter  pur- 
chased it. 

The  Regents  have  been:  Mrs.  Evelyn  F.  Masury, 
1895;  Harriet  S.  Tapley,  1895-96;  Mrs.  Ellen  M. 
Gould,  1896-97;  Mrs.  Evelyn  F.  Masury,  1897-1902; 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  F.  Hood,  1902-1914;  Mrs.  Carrie  F.  B. 
Wilkins,  1914-18;  Mrs.  Helen  Robinson,  1918-21;  Mrs. 
W.  G.  Sticknev,  1921-22;  Mrs.  S.  Mabel  Emerson, 
1923. 

St.  John's  School. — This  Roman  Catholic  institu- 
tion was  opened  under  direction  of  the  Xaverian  Broth- 
ers in  1891,  as  a  Normal  College  for  the  preparation  of 
young  men  for  the  Brotherhood.  The  building  pur- 
chased was  the  mansion  of  Jacob  E.  Spring,  built  about 
1880,  and  known  as  "Porphory  Hall."  In  1907  it  was 
organized  as  a  boys'  preparatory  school  for  college.  It 
has  added  several  buildings,  including  a  chapel,  g^^mna- 
sium  and  dormitories,  and  has  an  attendance  of  400  or 
more. 

Danvers  liTGHT  Infantry,  Company  K,  8th  Regi- 
ment, M.  V.  M. — Upon  the  disbandment  of  Company 
K,  8th  Regiment,  of  Salem,  which  had  been  in  existence 
82  years,  in  1889,  the  place  made  vacant  in  the  Regi- 
ment was  given  to  Danvers  in  1891,  upon  petition  to 
Gov.  William  E.  Russell.  Adj.-Gen.  Samuel  Dalton 
inspected  the  prospective  company,  and  on  March  25, 
the  company  of  51  men  was  mustered  in  at  Old  Berry 
Tavern,  where  the  old-time  militia  men  were  accustomed 


202  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

to  assemble  years  ago.  The  town  leased  the  old  skating 
rink  building  on  Maple  street,  which  was  subsequently 
remodeled  and  fitted  up  as  an  armory.  The  company 
continued  until  after  the  Spanish  War,  being  disbanded 
in  1900.  The  first  officers  were:  Frank  C.  Damon, 
Captain;  F.  Pierce  Tebbetts,  1st  Lieutenant;  Fred  U. 
French,  2d  Lieutenant. 

School  and  Town  Improvements. — In  1885,  the 
town  inaugurated  the  text-book  supply  system,  fur- 
nishing text-books  and  other  necessaries  which  had 
hitherto  been  bought  at  the  expense  of  each  pupil.  The 
following  year  (1886)  out-of-town  pupils  were  first 
admitted  to  the  High  School  upon  the  payment  of  a 
tuition  fee.  In  1891,  a  modern  system  of  ventilation 
was  introduced  into  all  the  school  buildings,  as  required 
by  law.  In  1893,  the  High  School  course  was  changed 
from  a  three  to  a  four  years'  course.  In  1894,  a  Super- 
intendent of  Schools  was  appointed. 

In  1893,  a  new  eight-room  building  was  erected  at 
Danversport  on  the  site  of  the  old  one,  at  a  cost  of 
$15,500.  The  following  year  (1895)  the  Tapley  school 
was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  building  at  a  cost  of 
$18,500.  In  1897,  the  Wadsworth  building  at  the  High- 
lands Avas  erected  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  In  1898,  the 
town  voted  to  erect  an  eight-room  building  on  the  front 
of  the  IMaple  Street  School  lot,  moving  the  old  building 
to  a  position  in  the  rear,  at  a  cost  of  about  $23,000. 

In  1895,  the  old  Town  Hall  and  High  School  was 
remodelled  at  a  cost  of  about  $32,000,  presenting  the 
same  appearance  as  it  does  today  (1923).  During  the 
process  of  remodeling,  the  town  officials  had  quarters 
in  the  J.  A.  Putnam  building,  now  the  Ideal  Baby  Shoe 
Company,  and  the  High  School  used  the  new  school- 
house  at  Tapleyville.  The  electric  tower  clock  was  the 
gift  of  George  Augustus  Peabody. 


DANA^ERS    SINCE    THE    DIVISION  203 

Darners  was  the  first  town  in  the  Commonwealth  to 
establish  municipal  lighting  (1888),  which  continued 
until  1919,  when  it  was  found  more  economical  to  buy 
power  from  the  Tenney  Service.  Gas  had  been  used  for 
lighting  since  1860.  In  1895,  the  electric  fire  alarm  was 
introduced.  In  1897,  the  electric  lighting  plant  was 
increased  in  capacity  and  incandescent  electric  lighting 
introduced.  In  1899,  the  town  began  to  furnish  power 
for  factories. 

In  1888.  INIassachusetts  adopted  the  Australian  ballot 
sj^stem,  being  the  first  State  in  the  country  to  use  it. 
Danvers  adopted  it  in  1891. 

In  1892,  after  various  attempts  by  different  commit- 
tees, the  design  of  the  present  town  seal  was  accepted: 
"The  Town  Meeting:  The  Purest  of  all  Democracies; 
The  Strongest  of  all  Citadels  of  Civil  Liberty." 

In  1900,  postal  free  delivery  was  established,  with 
sub-stations  at  Danversport  and  Tapleyville,  under 
direction  of  Charles  Newhall,  postmaster. 

The  Spanish  War. — War  against  Spain  was  de- 
clared by  the  United  States  on  April  15,  1898,  and  the 
volunteer  militia  was  subject  to  call.  Captain  A.  Pres- 
ton Chase  of  Company  K,  began  to  receive  enlistments 
of  recruits  on  April  23,  and  on  the  5th  of  the  next  month 
a  full  company  left  Danvers  to  join  the  Eighth  Regi- 
ment at  tlie  camp  at  Framingham.  Their  departure 
was  the  signal  for  great  enthusiasm,  the  decorations 
along  the  line  of  march  being  profuse  and  handsome. 
They  were  escorted  by  Ward  Post  90,  G.  A.  R.,  who 
carried  the  banners  presented  to  the  old  volunteer  com- 
panies when  they  marched  away  to  the  Civil  War.  At 
the  Eastern  Railroad  station  there  was  a  large  assembly 
to  bid  them  "God  speed."  Company  K  was  the  first 
company  of  the  Eighth  Regiment  to  reach  Boston.  Six 
days  later  (May  11)  its  174  men  and  three  officers  were 


204  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN\^RS 

mustered  into  the  United  States  service,  and  the  Regi- 
ment was  assigned  to  the  Second  Brigade,  Third  Di- 
vision, First  Army  Corps.  On  May  23,  they  were 
assigned  to  duty  at  Chickamauga,  Ga.,  where  in  a  dense 
grove,  they  remained  during  the  warm  summer  months. 
The  second  week  in  June  each  company  was  ordered 
recruited  to  106  men,  and  three  officers  and  a  detach- 
ment from  Company  K  came  north  to  obtain  the  re- 
quired number,  returning  to  Chickamauga  in  about  two 
weeks.  Camp  Thomas,  Chickamauga,  proved  a  mala- 
rial district,  and  the  company,  both  here  and  in  other 
Southern  camps,  suffered  to  a  great  extent  from  typhoid 
and  other  malarial  fevers.  Many  were  sent  home  on 
furloughs,  and  there  was  hardly  a  man  who  did  not 
spend  some  time  in  the  hospital.  The  only  death  in 
Company  K  was  that  of  Bugler  Spencer  S.  Hobbs  of 
Danvers,  which  occurred  at  Chickamauga,  August  19, 
1898.  He  was  given  a  military  funeral  in  Danvers,  a 
detachment  from  the  Salem  Cadets  performing  escort 
duty.  With  the  mustering  of  the  company  into  the 
United  States  service,  the  existence  of  Company  K,  as 
an  organization,  ceased. 

The  citizens  responded  generously  toward  supplying 
clothing  and  other  necessaries  for  the  company  before 
it  went  to  camp  at  Framingham,  and  private  individuals 
and  organizations  were  liberal  in  donations  of  money 
to  Company  K  during  the  war.  The  Avomen  of  Danvers 
organized  the  Danvers  Volunteer  Aid  Association,  meet- 
ing in  Unity  Chapel,  to  make  supplies  for  the  hospital 
ship  "Bay  State,"  which  was  fitted  out  in  Boston. 

Dan^ters'  150th  Anniversary. — The  celebration  of 
the  150th  anniversary  of  the  incorporation  of  the  town 
was  held  on  June  15,  16  and  17,  1902,  and  eclipsed  any- 
thing ever  before  attempted.  It  began  on  Sunday  with 
appropriate  historical  sermons  by  the  pastors  of  the 


DANVERS    SINCE    THE    DIVISION  205 

various  churches,  followed  on  Monday  by  a  banquet  in 
Town  Hall,  an  historical  address  by  Ezra  D.  Hines, 
Esq.,  and  a  ball  in  the  evening.  On  Tuesday,  a  monster 
parade  was  the  feature,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the 
old  town  never  before  witnessed  such  a  spectacle.  Every 
street-car  and  every  railroad  train  brought  its  quota  of 
visitors,  and  it  is  estimated  that  seventy-five  thousand 
persons  viewed  the  procession,  which  was  six  miles  in 
length  and  took  two  hours  to  pass  a  given  point,  of  which 
number  it  was  reported  that  "7,500  came  in  private 
carriages,  5,000  on  bicycles,  and  the  remainder  by  steam 
and  trolley  cars."  One  of  the  features  was  the  mounted 
escort  to  the  chief  marshal,  William  Penn  Hussey,  over 
one  thousand  horsemen  taking  part.  The  floats  entered 
by  the  schools,  societies  and  business  firms,  many  of  an 
historic  nature,  were  ingeniously  arranged  and  attrac- 
tively presented.  The  citizens  vied  with  one  another  in 
the  decoration  of  their  homes  and  places  of  business,  and 
the  town  was  one  blaze  of  color,  in  which  "Old  Glory" 
predominated,  the  center  of  the  town  presenting  one  of 
the  handsomest  sights  ever  seen  in  the  state.  With 
sports  at  the  park,  a  bonfire,  band  concerts  and  enter- 
tainment for  children,  the  three  days'  observance  was 
brought  to  a  close  with  a  display  of  fireworks  which  far 
surpassed  anything  ever  seen  in  this  vicinity.  The  ap- 
propriation of  $2,125  by  the  town  was  augmented  by 
contributions  from  private  sources.  The  proceedings  of 
the  celebration  were  afterwards  ordered  to  be  published 
under  the  direction  of  Rev.  Charles  B.  Rice,  William  B. 
Sulhvan,  Esq.,  Charles  H.  Preston  and  Ezra  D.  Hines. 

Danvers  Home  for  the  Aged. — This  home,  which 
was  opened  in  1906,  was  made  possible  by  a  bequest  of 
Harvey  H.  Pillsbury.  The  charter  was  granted  in  1901. 
It  is  open  to  both  sexes,  upon  approval  by  the  Board 
of  Directors,  and  payment  of  a  fixed  fee.  It  provides 
a  splendid  home,  under  the  management  of  a  compe- 


206  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

tent  matron.  The  house  was  the  home  of  Mr.  Pillsbury, 
and  was  built  by  Hon.  EHas  Putnam  about  1843.  The 
Presidents  have  been:  Mrs.  E.  A.  Spofford,  1906;  Mrs. 
William  A.  Gorton,  1907;  Mrs.  Andrew  C.  Watts, 
1908-1912;  Mrs.  Andrew  Nichols,  1913;  Mrs.  William 
H.  Creese,  1914;  John  S.  Learoyd,  1915. 

Danvers  Visiting  Nurse  Association. — This  most 
worthy  charity  was  organized  in  1908,  and  has  been 
conducted  under  the  direction  of  a  Board  of  Managers 
representing  the  various  parts  of  the  town.  It  is  non- 
sectarian  and  ministers  to  the  needs  of  all  classes.  The 
Presidents  have  been:  Miss  Emily  Fowler,  1909-10; 
Mrs.  George  W.  Towne,  1911. 

Independent  Agricultural  School  of  the 
County  of  Essex. — In  1913,  the  County  of  Essex  pur- 
chased the  estate  at  Hathorne,  known  for  many  years 
as  "Maplewood,"  for  an  agricultural  school.  At  first 
the  old  mansion  house  was  used  for  school  purposes, 
but  fire  destroyed  it  on  January  1,  1918,  after  which 
modern  buildings  were  erected  on  the  land.  The  classes 
are  open  to  boys  and  girls  of  this  county,  and  include 
agriculture  in  its  many  branches,  stock  raising,  domestic 
science  and  fruit  raising. 

The  Putnam  Home. — This  house,  which  was  built 
in  1856  by  Simeon  Putnam,  was  the  residence  of  his 
granddaughter.  Miss  Bessie  Putnam,  upon  whose  death 
in  1914,  it  was  given  to  a  Board  of  Trustees  to  be  con- 
ducted as  a  rest  house  for  women.  It  was  opened  in 
1917.  Here,  at  small  expense,  such  persons  as  are 
approved  by  the  trustees  are  privileged  to  spend  short 
vacations  for  recuperation.  Miss  Margaret  Howe  has 
been  President  of  the  organization  since  its  incorpora- 
tion. 


THE  COL.  JESSE  PUTNAM  HOUSE,  MAPLE  STREET 


RESIDENCE  OF  HON.  ELIAS  PUTNAM.  PARK  STREET 
Puilt  in  1843.     Now  the  "Home  for  the  Aged. ' ' 


m]     f 


DANVERS    SINCE    THE    DIVISION  207 

THE  WORLD  WAR. 

A  history  of  Danvers  in  the  World  War  is  yet  to  be 
written/  but  a  few  of  the  most  important  events  will  be 
given  here  as  a  matter  of  record.  Soon  after  war  was 
declared  in  Europe  in  1914,  volunteers  from  this  town 
enlisted  in  the  Canadian  and  French  service,  but  it  was 
not  until  the  spring  of  1917,  when  the  entrance  of  this 
country  into  the  struggle  was  a  foregone  conclusion, 
that  preparations  for  the  inevitable  were  made,  both  in 
civil  and  military  life.  War  with  Germany  was  declared 
by  the  United  States  on  April  6,  1917.  Many  Danvers 
men  had  been  connected  with  the  two  military  organ- 
izations in  Salem,  the  Salem  Cadets  and  Company  H  of 
the  Eighth  Regiment,  both  of  Avhich  had  been  recruited 
to  full  complement,  the  Cadets  having  been  changed,  a 
year  or  two  before,  from  an  infantry  to  an  artillery 
outfit. 

However,  what  was  anxiously  awaited  by  the  men  of 
the  country  and  their  families  was  the  now  historic  draft, 
which  took  place  at  Washington,  beginning  at  9.45 
A.  M.  on  July  20th,  and  being  completed  the  following 
day  at  2.18  A.  M.,  by  which  every  man  between  the 
ages  of  21  and  31  was  assigned  a  number,  subject  to 
call.  Early  in  April  the  Cadets  as  Batterys  D,  E  and  F 
of  the  First  Massachusetts  Field  Artillery,  together  with 
Company  H,  were  ready  for  duty.  On  July  26th,  the 
first  outfit  left  Salem,  it  being  Battery  E,  followed  in 
short  order  by  D  and  F,  bound  for  camp  at  Boxford. 
The  next  dav  Company  H  also  left  Salem  for  camp  at 
Lvnnfield,  later  being  transferred,  on  August  21st,  to 
Westfield.  The  artillery  left  Boxford  on  September 
7th,  for  "somewhere  in  France,"  and  was  henceforth 
known  as  the  101st  Regiment,  U.  S.  Field  Artillery. 

1  See  "Danvers  in  the  World  War,"  3  vols.,  clippings  from  newspapers, 
at  the  Danvers  Historical  Society. 


208  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

The  102d  Regiment,  U.  S.  Field  Artillery,  of  which 
the  Hospital  Corps  from  Danvers  formed  a  part,  also 
left  on  September  21st.  Company  H  of  the  Eighth 
Regiment  was  divided,  some  of  its  members  being  trans- 
ferred to  camp  at  Charlotte,  N.  C.,  and  helping  to  make 
up  the  Fifth  Pioneer  Regiment  of  U.  S.  Infantry,  while 
others  joined  the  104th  Regiment  of  U.  S.  Infantry. 
Thus  both  organizations  were  included  in  the  26th  Divi- 
sion, the  famous  "Yankee  Division,"  commanded  by 
Gen.  Clarence  G.  Edwards,  which  arrived  in  France  in 
the  latter  part  of  September.  The  departure  of  the 
first  quota  of  draft  men  on  October  5th,  was  the  occa- 
sion of  a  parade  and  public  demonstration  by  the  towns- 
people generally.  Then  followed  manj^  months  of  hard 
work  on  the  part  of  the  men  and  women  at  home.  The 
Committee  of  Public  Safety,  which  had  charge  of  the 
various  war  activities,  consisted  of  Walter  T.  Creese, 
Benjamin  S.  Newhall,  Walter  A.  Tapley,  Wallace  P. 
Hood,  George  O.  Stimpson,  Harry  E.  Jackson,  J. 
Frederick  Hussey,  Walter  J.  Budgell,  George  A.  Pea- 
body,  Charles  A.  Cook,  Frank  A.  Poor,  George  D. 
Morse  and  Peter  J.  Widen.  Timothy  J.  Lynch  also 
was  the  leader  in  many  of  the  public  demonstrations. 

The  financial  men  of  the  town  put  through  the  drives 
for  the  sale  of  Liberty  bonds,  for  the  Red  Cross  to  pro- 
vide hospital  and  other  supplies,  and  also  for  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  work.  The  Liberty  Loan  Committee  was  com- 
posed of  George  O.  Stimpson,  Walter  A.  Tapley,  Jas- 
per Marsh,  Charles  H.  Preston,  M.  J.  Cashman,  Leland 
J.  Ross,  Edward  F.  Strong,  Henry  W.  Cook,  Ralph 
TYlieelright,  Albert  G.  Allen,  J.  Ellis  Nightingale, 
Carl  F.  A.  Morse,  I^oring  B.  Goodale,  James  J.  Gaff- 
ney,  Winsor  C.  Nickerson,  W.  Arthur  Donnell,  Peter 
J.  Widen,  Thurman  Leslie,  Adam  D.  Smith,  C.  RalpH 
Tapley,  Frank  A.  Poor,  Sanford  E.  Gillette,  Albert 
T.  Armitage,  George  H.  Parker. 


DANVERS    SINCE    THE   DIVISION  209 

The  churches  flung  service  flags  to  the  breeze,  with 
a  star  for  every  boy  enhsted  in  the  army  or  navy  or  air 
service,  and  many  a  home  paid  similar  tribute  to  the 
son  across  the  sea.  An  ambulance,  purchased  by  pop- 
ular subscription,  was  presented  to  the  Hospital  Corps 
of  the  102d  Regiment,  to  which  several  Danvers  boys 
belonged. 

In  June,  1917,  a  Home  Guard  was  organized,  with 
Fred  H.  Nowers  as  Captain,  composed  of  the  older 
military  and  other  citizens,  which  held  drills  twice  a 
week  in  Town  Hall.  They  were  provided  with  uniforms 
with  money  raised  by  popular  subscription. 

The  women  of  Danvers  were  untiring  in  their  work 
throughout  the  war.  As  early  as  January,  1916,  work 
was  commenced  by  the  Civics  Committee  of  the  Danvers 
Women's  Association,  Mrs.  Susan  E.  Hale,  Mrs.  L. 
Grace  Creese,  Mrs.  Marion  B.  Crehore,  Mrs.  Clara  T. 
Spoff^ord  and  Mrs.  Claire  H.  Tapley,  for  the  American 
Fund  for  the  French  Wounded,  and  continued  until 
April,  1918,  with  the  additional  assistance  of  Miss  Janet 
L.  Gorton,  Mrs.  Alice  P.  Leach,  Mrs.  Annie  L.  Mar- 
ston,  Mrs.  Edith  C.  Merrow,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Smith  and 
Miss  Ruth  Winkley.  In  April,  the  Danvers  Branch, 
American  Fund  for  the  French  Wounded  was  formed, 
whose  officers  were  Mrs.  S.  E.  Hale,  Mrs.  C.  H.  Tapley, 
Mrs.  L.  Grace  Creese,  Mrs.  Grace  Harvey  and  Mrs. 
Grace  Towne.  Work  was  at  first  distributed  and  fin- 
ished articles  received  at  the  D.  W.  A.  meetings,  but 
later,  use  was  made  of  G.  A.  R.  Hall  and  Town  Hall, 
and,  in  the  fall  of  1917,  Fossa's  Hall,  where  this  organ- 
ization continued  until  March,  1919.  There  were  more 
than  500  enrolled  members,  and  they  produced  a  total 
of  143,377  articles,  including  surgical  dressings,  knitted 
goods,  hospital  garments  and  supplies  and  refugee  gar- 
ments, being  one  of  the  leading  contributors  of  the  State 
to  the  New  England  branch. 


210  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

The  Danvers  Branch  of  the  Special  Aid  Society  for 
American  Preparedness  was  organized  in  G.  A.  R.  Hall 
in  March,  1917,  through  the  interest  and  influence  of 
Mrs.  Wilhs  H.  Ropes,  with  Mrs.  Fred  E.  Wilkins,  Miss 
Sarah  W.  Mudge,  Mrs.  George  O.  Stimpson  as  officers, 
others  in  charge  being,  Mrs.  Lawrence  W.  Jenkins, 
Mrs.  Thomas  Perkins,  Mrs.  George  W.  Towne,  Mrs. 
Harriot  P.  Neal,  Mrs.  Andrew  H.  Paton,  Mrs.  Lyman 
Gould,  Mrs.  Charles  E.  Perkins,  Mrs.  Osborne  Leach, 
Mrs.  Charles  H.  Preston,  ]Mrs.  Arthur  W.  Beckford, 
Mrs.  Helen  (Cook)  Danforth,  Mrs.  Eleanor  (Couch) 
Cook,  Miss  Nettie  M.  Pratt  and  Mrs.  Herbert  M.  Flint. 
Outfits  valued  at  $5  each  were  given  every  Danvers  boy 
when  he  entered  the  service.  The  Special  Aid  Society 
at  first  filled  all  the  quotas  required  in  Red  Cross  work, 
raising  over  two-thirds  of  the  money  in  various  ways; 
later  a  percentage  of  each  Red  Cross  drive  was  given 
for  war  work.  As  soon  as  our  men  were  called  into 
service,  the  need  of  a  Red  Cross  home  service  depart- 
ment was  found  necessary,  and  in  Juty,  1918,  the  chair- 
man was  Osborne  Leach,  followed  by  Miss  Elizabeth 
Campbell,  and  in  October,  1918,  Miss  Nettie  M.  Pratt 
took  charge  of  this  work,  which  she  still  (1923)  con- 
tinues. A  branch  of  the  Red  Cross  was  organized  in  the 
spring  of  1918,  with  John  Frederick  Hussey,  Mrs.  Fred 
E.  Wilkins,  Mrs.  John  H.  Kimball  and  Charles  O. 
Merrill  as  officers,  assisted  by  Miss  Katherine  Carr  in 
charge  of  garments;  Mrs.  Helen  (Cook)  Danforth  and 
Mrs.  Eleanor  (Couch)  Cook,  knitting;  Miss  Margaret 
Howe,  Mrs.  George  P.  Bell,  Mrs.  S.  Fred  Low,  Mrs. 
Arthur  W.  Beckford,  surgical  dressings.  Work  on 
surgical  dressings  ended  in  November,  1918,  but  sewing 
and  knitting  for  our  own  soldiers  and  French  orphans 
was  continued  into  1919. 

The  first  Danvers  boy  to  die  in  the  service  was  Private 
Arthur  Drapeau,  of  Battery  E,  101st  Regiment,  whose 


DAN^TRS    SINCE    THE    DIVISION  211 

death  occurred  in  N^ew  York  on  December  21,  1917. 
He  was  given  a  military  funeral  at  Annunciation 
Church.  The  101st  Field  Artillery,  to  which  so  many 
Danvers  boys  belonged,  saw  hard  service  in  France, 
being  officially  credited  with  being  at  the  front  five  dif- 
ferent times,  238  days  in  all,  and  taking  part  in  all  of 
the  great  battles,  to  the  number  of  fourteen.  The  104th 
Regiment  also  took  part  in  practically  the  same  engage- 
ments and  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  only  regi- 
ment in  this  vicinity  to  have  its  colors  decorated  by  the 
French.  After  the  armistice  on  November  11,  1918, 
which  was  a  day  long  to  be  remembered  in  Danvers,  the 
event  being  celebrated  by  a  monster  parade  in  the  even- 
ing, it  was  only  a  question  of  how  long  the  Americans 
would  have  to  remain  in  France.  The  301st  Artillery, 
in  which  were  a  great  number  of  the  draft  men  from 
this  locality,  arrived  home  on  January  6,  1919.  The 
104th  Regiment  of  Infantry  reached  home  in  April  fol- 
lowing, and  the  old  Cadet  outfit,  or  the  101st  Field 
Ai'tillery,  arrived  in  June,  in  time  for  the  enthusiastic 
reception  given  by  the  town  to  all  returning  service  men 
in  Town  Hall  on  June  28th,  when  a  patriotic  address 
was  given  by  William  B.  Sullivan,  Esq. 

According  to  a  private  record  kept  by  the  Danvers 
Historical  Society,  and  now  deposited  at  Town  Hall, 
there  were  about  730  Danvers  men  in  the  service. 

Fifteen  Danvers  men  lost  their  lives  in  the  service. 
They  were:  Ensign  Merritt  H.  Barnes,  Lieut.  Ralph 
W.  I.ane,  Sergt.  Hadley  M.  McPhetres,  John  Braca- 
montes,  Ludwig  Carmichael,  Lawrence  Crane,  Arthur 
F.  Drapeau,  Ralph  Q.  Hall,  Marcus  A.  Jordan,  Ray- 
mond Knowlton,  Harry  E.  Little,  Robert  B.  Nangle, 
Ernest  J.  St.  Hilare,  Francis  J.  Small,  Herbert  W. 
Staples, 


212  CHRONICLES  OF  BANTERS 

The  following  were  cited  for  bravery:  William  T. 
Gorton,  Paul  H.  Moore,  William  H.  MuUins,  Esmond 
A.  Farmer,  Webster  Blanchard,  George  Ferguson, 
David  Stambler. 

The  local  post  of  the  American  Legion  was  named 
Drapeau-MacPhetres  Post. 


IV.  OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES. 

General  Israel  Putnam's  Birthplace. — This  an- 
cient gambrel-roofed  homestead,  at  the  junction  of 
Maple  street  and  the  Newburyport  turnpike,  is  unique 
among  the  historic  houses  of  Danvers  and  perhaps  of 
the  country,  in  that  it  has  sheltered  successive  genera- 
tions of  one  family  for  more  than  two  hundred  and 
seventy-five  years,  never  having  passed  out  of  the  Put- 
nam family.  The  oldest  part  of  this  house,  originally 
of  four  or  five  rooms,  was  built  by  Lieut.  Thomas  Put- 
nam, son  of  the  emigrant  John,  in  the  sixteen-forties. 
He  probably  used  this  place  as  a  summer  farmstead, 
retaining  a  home  in  Salem  town.  Upon  his  death  in 
1686,  he  bequeathed  the  house  with  120  acres  of  land 
to  his  second  wife,  Mary  (Veren)  Putnam,  and  their 
only  son,  Joseph  Putnam.  The  latter  is  especially  re- 
membered and  revered  as  an  opponent  of  the  witchcraft 
delusion,  upon  whose  death  in  1723,  the  place  descended 
to  his  sons,  David  and  Israel,  the  latter  the  Revolution- 
ary hero.  General  Putnam  was  born  here  in  1718,  in 
a  room  in  the  second  story  of  the  back  part  of  the  pres- 
ent house,  which  room  is  still  preserved  in  its  original 
condition,  with  its  oak  beams  uncased.  Here,  many  of 
the  furnishings  used  by  various  generations  of  the  family 
are  collected,  among  them  a  hooded  cradle  which  has 
rocked  all  generations  since  1774,  including  the  present 
tenth  generation,  and  an  old  wooden  mortar  found  on 
the  place  when  the  house  was  built.  The  wall-paper 
now  in  the  General's  chamber  was  originally  in  the 
library  below,  having  been  put  on  in  1804,  and  fifty 
years  later  was  soaked  off  and  applied  to  the  walls  of 
the  historic  room.    When  the  General  married  he  built 

(213) 


214  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

a  house  in  the  "upper  field,"  so  called,  the  cellar  hole 
of  which  is  still  to  be  seen,  where  he  lived  until  after  his 
first  child  was  born.  Upon  his  removal  to  Pomfret, 
Conn.,  he  conveyed  all  interest  in  this  property  to  his 
brother,  Col.  David  Putnam,  who  built  the  gambrel- 
roof  addition  to  the  front  of  the  house  in  1744. 

In  connection  with  the  history  of  this  house,  it  may 
not  be  uninteresting  to  include  two  other  houses  in  this 
locality  owned  and  occupied  by  other  descendants  of 
Colonel  David, — the  Putnam-Clark  house,  so  called,  on 
Summer  street,  recently  taken  down,  and  the  Col.  Jesse 
Putnam  house  on  Maple  street,  across  the  street  a  short 
distance  from  the  General  Israel  birthplace.  Mrs.  Julia 
A.  Philbrick,  a  descendant,  has  written  concerning  these 
Putnam  houses : 

"Lieut.  David  Putnam,  the  owner  of  them  all,  gave 
them  by  will  to  three  of  his  sons, — William,  Joseph  and 
Israel.  To  William,  the  eldest,  he  gave  the  one  known 
as  the  Clark  house,  on  Summer  street,  with  its  surround- 
ing lands ;  he  gave  much  of  his  other  property  to  Joseph 
and  Israel,  to  be  equally  divided,  they  to  furnish  their 
young  brother,  Jesse,  with  money  requisite  to  carry  him 
through  college.  This  they  did  and  he  graduated  from 
Harvard  in  1775.  The  property  given  to  Joseph  and 
Israel  included  the  two  houses  known  to  this  generation 
as  the  Gen.  Israel  Putnam  house  and  the  Col.  Jesse 
Putnam  house  and  land.  This  land  comprised  some 
fifty  or  more  acres,  part  of  which  now  belongs  to  the 
State  Hospital;  also  all  that  included  in  the  farms  of 
Miss  Susan  Putnam,  Mrs.  Francis  P.  Putnam,  John 
M.  Putnam,  and  the  land  on  which  are  now  the  houses 
of  Mrs.  Daniel  Verry,  Eben  S.  FHnt,  Eben  Jackson 
and  Mrs.  Julia  A.  Philbrick;  also  the  schoolhouse  land, 
which  was  given  to  the  town  by  Daniel  Putnam  for 


THE  GEN.  ISRAEL  PUTNAM  HOUSE 


MAPLEWOOD,"  NKWHALL-MASSEY  RESIDENCE 


ENTRANCE  TO  "LOCUST  LAWN,"  NICHOLS  STREET 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  215 

school  purposes,  and  on  which  the  present  building 
stands. 

"After  the  death  of  Colonel  David  in  1769,  these  kind, 
loving  brothers,  Joseph  and  Israel,  divided  this  estate. 
Tradition  says  that  each  selected  the  house  he  preferred, 
and  upon  comparing  their  selections  each  found  he  had 
the  one  he  wished,  that  is,  Joseph  had  the  present  Col. 
Jesse  house  and  Israel  the  Gen.  Putnam  house.  Then 
they  went  over  the  farm,  each  naming  the  field,  pasture 
or  meadow  he  would  like,  until  all  was  divided ;  and  here 
they  lived  in  peace  and  harmony  until  1818,  when  Joseph 
died  and  his  estate  became  the  property  of  his  son  Jesse. 
In  1825,  Israel  died,  and  his  house  came  to  his  son 
Daniel.  Jesse  and  Daniel  never  had  other  homes,  but 
lived  all  their  long  lives  in  these  houses,  rearing  large 
families,  each  having  twelve  children,  and  like  their 
fathers,  they  too  dwelt  side  by  side  harmoniously,  un- 
like though  they  were  in  some  respects.  To  really  knov/ 
these  homes  one  must  have  in  childhood  played  in  and 
explored  every  nook  and  cranny,  from  the  dark  arches 
supporting  the  ponderous  chimneys  to  the  cubby-holes 
made  by  the  joining  together  of  the  several  additions 
to  the  original  house;  and  the  dark  cavernous  place  by 
the  side  of  one  of  the  chimneys  which  we  had  to  pass  in 
going  to  the  attic,  our  favorite  play-room.  This  hole 
the  sailor-boy  of  the  family  called  the  'Black  Hole  of 
Calcutta,'  after  his  return  from  a  voj^age  to  that  place, 
and  we  did  not  like  to  pass  it  any  better  after  it  received 
that  name. 

"In  1812,  when  it  was  feared  the  British  might  land 
in  Salem,  some  of  our  wealthy  friends  and  relatives  in 
that  town  brought  their  silver  dollars,  family  plate  and 
jewels  up  to  the  General  Putnam  house  for  safe-keep- 
ing, to  the  care  of  my  father.  He  placed  them  in  earthen 


216  CPIRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 

pots  or  kegs,  and  deposited  them  in  the  long,  dark  arch 
under  the  chimnej^  and  there  they  remained  safely  until 
the  danger  was  over.  Every  old  house  had  a  barn  near 
it  which  was  the  delight  of  every  child,  and  around 
which  cluster  so  many  pleasant  associations,  with  higli 
beams  and  rafters  for  us  to  climb.  The  barn  on  the 
Colonel  Jesse  farm  was  built  from  timber  cut  in  Middle- 
ton  by  Moses  Wilson  of  New  Mills  in  1831.  Between 
the  General  Putnam  house  and  barn  was  a  brook  where 
we  sailed  our  shingle  boats,  and  Turtle  pond,  where, 
with  our  brothers,  we  could  sail  on  a  raft,  which  was 
also  Colonel  Jesse's  ice  pond,  where  all  the  boys  of  the 
neighborhood  went  to  skate.  There  was  an  old  legend, 
told  by  Calvin  Putnam,  son  of  Colonel  Jesse,  that  dogs 
without  heads  had  been  seen  in  Turtle  pond,  and  it  was, 
therefore,  an  unsafe  place  for  small  boys  to  go  alone, 
which  had  the  desired  effect  upon  one  small  boy  at  least, 
who  did  not  stop  to  consider  whether  it  might  not  be 
important  for  a  dog  to  have  a  head  to  make  him  dan- 
gerous." 

From  Daniel  Putnam,  who  further  enlarged  the 
house  and  raised  it  to  two  stories,  with  an  attic  on  the 
west  side,  in  1831,  the  General  Putnam  house  descended 
to  his  son,  William  R.  Putnam,  in  1854,  and  in  1855  he 
conveyed  it  to  Mrs.  Emma  P.  Kettelle  and  Miss  Susan 
Putnam,  the  latter  coming  into  possession  of  the  whole 
upon  Mrs.  Kettelle's  death  in  1867.  Connected  with 
this  house  were  two  well-known  educators.  John  D. 
Philbrick,  who  was  a  student  teacher  in  this  district 
winters,  while  attending  Dartmouth  College,  married  a 
daughter  of  this  house  and  became  Superintendent  of 
Schools  in  Boston,  and  an  educator  of  international  rep- 
utation, being  decorated  by  the  French  government. 
Hon.  Mellen  Chamberlain,  also  a  teacher  there,  and 
afterwards  the  distinguished  librarian  of  the  Boston 
Public  Library,  took  his  bride  also  from  this  Putnam 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  217 

familj\  At  the  northern  end  of  this  farm  is  a  burial 
place,  in  which  is  the  Thomas  Putnam  tomb,  now  over- 
^Town,  where  is  said  to  h'e  the  remains  of  Ann  Putnam, 
the  girl  who  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  witchcraft 
accusations.  She  died  in  1716,  at  the  age  of  thirty-six, 
and  was  the  last  person  buried  in  the  tomb.  In  the  rear 
of  the  house  is  a  building  which  is  doubtless  the  oldest 
shoe  factory  in  the  United  States  now  standing,  having 
been  used  as  such  in  the  eighteenth  century.  Here  were 
manufactured  southern  brogans,  the  account  of  which 
transactions  are  still  extant.  In  1900,  Miss  Susan  Put- 
nam died,  having  bequeathed  the  ancient  house  and  farm 
to  her  grand-neice,  Susan  Mabel  Hood,  now  the  wife 
of  George  W.  Emerson.  Here  still  under  this  old  roof- 
tree  hospitality  is  dispensed  by  the  present  owners,  and 
the  future  of  this  historic  landmark  promises  to  be  as 
full  of  interest  as  the  past. 

Phiixips-Lawrence- Sanders  House.  —  This  fine 
old  residence  on  Spring  street,  owned  by  Mrs.  Nathaniel 
S.  H.  Sanders,  was  built  on  one  of  the  most  ancient  and 
historic  farms  of  Danvers.  The  farm  was  originally  the 
eastern  part  of  a  one-hundred  fifty  acre  lot  granted  by 
the  town  of  Salem  to  William  Pester  in  1638.  In  1655 
it  came  into  the  possession  of  the  Prince  family,  in  which 
family  it  remained  for  about  one  hundred  fifty  years, 
the  old  farmhouse  having  been  the  home  of  Sarah 
(Prince)  Osborne,  who  was  convicted  of  witchcraft. 
In  1800,  the  Princes  sold  the  farm  to  Nathan  Peirce  of 
Salem,  a  prosperous  merchant,  who  dying  in  1812,  be- 
queathed this  estate  to  a  son,  but  in  1826  it  was  pur- 
chased by  Capt.  Stephen  Phillips  of  Salem,  whose  wife 
was  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Peirce.  In  1836,  just  previous 
to  Captain  Phillips'  death,  he  conveyed  the  estate  to  the 
Lawrences,  and  for  many  years  it  continued  as  the  resi- 
dence of  Charles  Lawrence  and  his  sisters,  and  later  of 
his  neices,  Miss  Caroline  Lawrence  being  especially  re- 


218  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

membered  in  Danvers  by  the  older  generation  for  her 
benevolence  and  friendliness. 

Charles  Lawrence  was  the  son  of  Abel  Lawrence  of 
Salem,  and  was  born  in  1795,  one  of  thirteen  children. 
He  was  graduated  from  Harvard  in  1815,  and  married 
Lucy    A.,    daughter  of    Thomas    Ward,    the    Boston 
banker.     Delicate  health  prevented  him  from  entering 
upon  a  business  or  professional  career.    For  thirty  years 
or  more  on  his  farm  in  Danvers  he  indulged  in  his  favor- 
ite occupation  of  gardening,  and  his  passion  for  flowers 
seemed  to  be  responded  to  by  the  plants  themselves,  for 
they  flourished  wonderfully  under  his  care.    Combined 
with  these  pursuits  was  a  love  of  literature  which  did 
not  fail  him  while  life  lasted.    The  unlimited  hospitality 
of  this  beautiful  home  through  many  years  was  never 
forgotten  by  those  who  shared  it.    Mr.  Lawrence  made 
alterations  and  built  an  addition  to  the  old  Phillips 
house  and  laid  out  gardens  which  were  most  attractive. 
In  1869,  in  order  to  be  nearer  his  friends  as  failing  health 
came,  he  removed  to  Ash  street,  where  he  had  erected  the 
house  now  owned  by  J.  Anderson  Lord.  Here  he  resided 
until  his  death  in  1879,  laying  out  the  grounds  with 
much  taste  and  planting  trees  and  shrubs  which  in  a  few 
years  transformed  the  place  into  one  of  the  most  attrac- 
tive in  town;  and  here  his  neice.  Miss  Caroline  Law- 
rence, continued  his  interest  in  horticulture  until  her 
death  in  1899.     Charles  Lawrence  was  beloved  and  re- 
spected by  all,  his  kindness  toward  the  unfortunate  was 
known  only  to  the  recipients  of  his  benevolences,  and 
his  life  may  be  said  to  have  been  one  of  unostentatious 
virtues.     He  had  no  cliildren.     His  family  was  one  long 
honored  in  Salem  and  Danvers  for  the  old  puritan  attri- 
butes of  integrity  and  piety. 

Upon  his  removal  from  Spring  street,  he  sold  the 
farm  to  John  Horswell,  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  whose 
daughter,   Mrs.   Underwood,   was  then  living  in  the 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  219 

Driver  house,  and  upon  Mr.  Underwood's  disposing  of 
his  house  to  Mr.  Spring,  the  Underwoods  took  up  their 
residence  with  the  Hors wells.  A  portion  of  this  farm 
was  sold  in  1879  to  Mrs.  Sylvia  C.  Pitcher  of  Boston, 
who  built  a  house  which  is  today  the  residence  of  her 
granddaughter,  Mrs.  Joshua  Nichols.  Miss  Jennie 
Horswell,  a  daughter,  inherited  this  property,  who  sold 
it  in  1889  to  Mrs.  Harriet  P.  Pray  of  Lynn.  She,  in 
1896,  conveyed  the  property  to  Mrs.  Sanders. 

Stephen  W.  Phillips,  Esq.,  of  Salem,  great-grandson 
of  Captain  Phillips,  in  some  reminiscences  of  this  old 
estate,  writes: 

"I  know  a  good  deal  about  the  Beaver  Brook  Farm, 
as  I  spent  a  large  part  of  my  childhood  there,  partly  in 
the  house  that  Mr.  Joshua  Nichols  occupies  and  partly 
in  the  so-called  Sanders  house.  This  latter  belonged, 
in  the  early  nineteenth  century,  to  my  great-grandfather, 
and  my  father,  as  a  boy,  passed  much  time  there.  I 
have  often  walked  about  the  place  with  him  and  heard 
him  describe  how  it  looked  in  his  childhood  in  the  early 
thirties.  The  Beaver  Brook  Farm,  when  Captain  Phil- 
lips owned  it,  was  bounded,  roughly,  by  the  railroad 
track,  then  following  the  road  behind  the  Gilford  house 
to  the  present  Fishes  Brook,  up  along  the  brook  by  the 
Wentworth  place,  then  across  to  the  upper  road  or 
Summer  street  near  the  ancient  Clark  house,  recently 
destroyed,  down  Summer  street  to  the  Woodman  place, 
and  then  along  the  Woodman  place  and  across  the  marsh 
to  about  where  the  railroad  track  is.  It  included  about 
all  the  property  afterwards  owned  by  the  Horswell 
estate  and  Mr.  Spring.  There  was,  of  course,  no  Spring 
street;  that  was  merely  a  private  avenue  running  in 
from  near  Gilford's  up  as  far  as  the  old  Prince  house 
above  the  stone  barn.  There  was  nothing  but  a  cart- 
track  above  that  through  to  the  upper  road. 


220  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

"The  private  road  to  this  house  at  that  time  did  not 
follow  the  line  of  Spring  street,  but  went  around  the 
edge  of  the  marsh  and  came  up  a  hollow,  afterwards 
largely  filled  in  when  the  stone  barn  was  built.  On  the 
edge  of  the  marsh  at  the  depot  end  of  this  road  was  an 
ancient  burial  ground  of  the  Prince  family.  When  I 
was  a  boy  many  of  the  stones  were  still  there,  and  one 
of  the  Princes  had  put  up  two  new  slate  stones  to  mark 
the  site  of  the  little  cemetery.  There  was  another  house 
on  the  site  of  the  present  Sanders  house.  I  always  un- 
derstood from  my  father  that  the  kitchen  at  the  north 
end  of  the  Sanders  house  was  part  of  this  old  building, 
and  that  the  present  two  front  rooms  and  front  door  of 
the  Sanders  house  were  built  by  Mr.  Nathan  Peirce 
some  time  between  1800  and  1826,  of  whom  more  later. 

"By  deed  dated  January  6,  1800,  John  Prince  sold 
the  farm,  at  that  time  embracing  one  hundred  thirty 
acres,  to  Nathan  Peirce  of  Salem.  Nathan  Peirce  was 
a  wealthy  man,  whose  town  house  was  the  fine  brick 
mansion  on  Charter  street  used  for  many  years  by  the 
Salem  Hospital.  He  left  the  place  to  his  son,  George 
Peirce,  and  the  latter  to  his  children.  Their  guardian, 
by  deed  dated  July  7,  1826,  sold  it  to  Capt.  Stephen 
Phillips  for  $4,000.  Captain  Phillips  was  a  retired 
merchant  of  Salem.  He  had  been  in  early  life  one  of 
Mr.  Derby's  favorite  captains,  and  after  1800  had  estab- 
lished himself  as  a  merchant  and  become  a  wealthy  man. 
He  had  married,  as  his  second  wife,  Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  Nathan  Peirce,  and  so  was  already  connected  with 
this  farm.  About  1825  he  turned  over  the  active  man- 
agement of  his  business  to  his  only  son,  and  spent  a 
great  part  of  the  rest  of  his  life  on  this  farm  in  Danvers, 
amusing  himself  by  trying  to  improve  it.  Like  many 
another  country  gentleman,  it  probably  cost  him  a  pretty 
penny.  There  is  a  tradition  in  the  family  that  before 
he  died  he  carefully  destroyed  all  the  bills  and  accounts, 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  221 

as  he  didn't  wish  anybody  to  know  how  much  he  had 
spent.  It  was  then  a  favorite  hobbj^  of  old  Salem  mer- 
chants to  have  a  country  place  and  indulge  in  farming. 
Danvers  is  full  of  farms  which  once  belonged  to  retired 
Salem  captains. 

"When  Mr.  Phillips  bought  the  place  in  1826,  he 
found  the  house  built  by  Mr.  Nathan  Peirce  three  stories 
high,   door  in  the  middle,  and  only  one  room  thick; 
windows  both  back  and  front,  with  what  remained  of 
the  ancient  Prince  house  as  an  ell  on  the  north,  where 
the  kitchen  and  servants'  room  was.    Adjoining  was  a 
chaise-house  connected  with  the  beautiful  archway  to 
the  kitchen  chamber.    It  was  only  intended  as  a  summer 
house,  and  probably  could  not  have  been  heated  in  win- 
ter.   Mr.  Phillips  in  winter  lived  in  his  town  house,  still 
standing.  No.  17  Chestnut  street,  which  he  had  built  in 
1805.     Above  the  site  of  the  stone  barn  was  the  still 
older  Prince  house,  which  was  used  as  a  farmhouse, 
where  the  caretakers  lived  all  the  year  round.     What 
farm  buildings  there  may  have  been  I  do  not  know,  but 
soon  after  he  bought  the  place,  Mr.  Phillips  set  to  work 
to  build  the  stone  barn  and  lay  out  an  avenue,  the 
present  Spring  street,  from  Gilford's  up  to  his  house. 
Great  walls  were  built  on  both  sides  and  elms  planted. 
An  immense  amount  of  grading  and  hauling  was  neces- 
sary.   The  late  Andrew  Verry  used  to  often  talk  with 
my  father  about  the  enormous  amount  of  work  that  was 
done  in  hauling  rocks  for  the  walls  and  the  stone  barn. 
His  father  was  a  sort  of  teamster  or  foreman  for  Mr. 
Phillips,  and  the  older  Verry  boys  had  all  worked  on 
the  place.    One  of  Mr.  Phillips'  pet  plans  was  reducing 
the  rolling  pasture  back  of  his  house  to  a  great  flat  field. 
This  was  at  last  accomplished,  but  rains  and  frost  have 
gradually  been  undoing  the  work,  and  the  level  field  is 
each  year,  I  find,  growing  more  uneven.    Another  plan 
was  draining  the  swamp  in  the  rear  of  this  field.    Some 


222  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

rather  peculiar  hollows  in  what  was  afterwards  the  Hors- 
well  woods  used  to  be  pointed  out  to  me  by  my  father 
as  sites  of  gravel  pits  from  which  filling  had  been 
brought. 

"Mr.  Phillips  from  time  to  time  added  small  tracts 
to  the  farm,  as  on  September  4,  1828,  he  bought  a  little 
piece  from  Dwinnell,  near  the  present  depot,  but  the 
general  size  of  the  place  was  not  altered.  On  July  26, 
1836,  Mr.  Phillips  sold  the  whole  place,  then  described 
as  one  hundred  fifty  acres,  to  Charles  Lawrence.  Mr. 
Lawrence  intended  to  use  the  house  all  the  year  round, 
and  added  the  back  rooms  and  the  large  western  ell, 
more  than  doubling  its  size,  and  planted  evergreens 
extensively  on  the  place,  as  he  was  very  much  interested 
in  horticulture.  My  father  said  there  were  practically 
no  pines  or  spruces  on  the  place  in  his  boyhood.  All  of 
the  so-called  Tlorswell  Woods  were  open  pastures,  and 
the  trees  dated  from  Mr.  Lawrence's  time.  After  living 
on  the  place  a  few  years,  Mr.  Lawrence  evidently  not 
caring  for  farming,  cut  the  place  in  halves,  selling  all 
the  place  north  of  his  house  and  east  of  Spring  street, 
including  the  stone  barn  and  old  farm  house.  This 
passed  through  various  hands,  Mr.  Driver,  Mr.  Under- 
wood, and  perhaps  others  whom  I  do  not  now  recall,  to 
Mr.  J.  C.  Spring.  Driver,  I  think,  had  built  the  modern 
frame  house  on  the  east  side  of  the  road,  opposite  and 
above  the  stone  barn.  Spring  lived  there  during  the 
construction  of  his  great  stone  mansion  in  the  early 
eighties. 

"Mr.  Lawrence  retained  the  western  portion  and  it 
was  finally  sold  to  Mr.  Horswell,  the  father  of  the  late 
Miss  Jennie  Horswell,  whom  many  people  in  Danvers 
remember.  They  lived  there  for  many  years,  and  the 
place  was  little  altered  from  what  it  had  been  in  Mr. 
Lawrence's  time.  The  woods  grew  up  and  were,  in  my 
childhood,  a  very  beautiful  tract  of  pine,  where  were  two 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  223 

driveways  which  were  kept  clear  and  made  walking  easy. 
As  they  were  covered  with  fallen  needles,  that  made  a 
most  attractive  playground  for  us  children.  The  so- 
called  gravel  meadow  which  Mr.  Phillips  had  drained, 
was  a  hay-field,  and  the  large  field  back  of  the  house 
was  a  garden.  All  the  rest  was  pine  woods  and  a  little 
pasture  along  Spring  street.  The  house  where  Mr. 
Joshua  Nichols  lives,  and  the  square  field  below  it,  where 
]Mr.  Benson  of  Salem  afterwards  built  a  bungalow,  had 
been  sold  by  Mr.  Horswell  to  Mrs.  Pitcher,  grand- 
mother of  Mrs.  Joshua  Nichols,  on  which  Mrs.  Pitcher, 
about  1880,  built  the  present  house.  The  main  Horswell 
estate  passed  after  several  changes  to  Mrs.  Nathaniel 
S.  H.  Sanders,  who  extensively  built  over  and  altered 
the  house  and  cut  down  much  of  the  woods." 

"Locust  Lawn." — This  large  and  beautiful  estate 
of  about  one  hundred  acres,  on  Nichols  street,  now 
owned  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  John  H.  Nichols,  has  an  inter- 
esting history.  It  was  originally  the  western  half  of  a 
165  acre  lot  granted  to  William  Pester  by  the  town  in 
1638,  and  in  1655  it  came  into  possession  of  the  Prince 
family.  It  remained  in  this  family  over  a  hundred 
years,  until  1761,  when  it  was  purchased  by  John 
Nichols,  who  built  a  house  there.  From  him  it  descended 
to  Abel  Nichols,  the  artist,  who,  while  residing  in  Rome, 
Italy,  conveyed  the  whole  property  in  1855  to  Edward 
D.  Kimball  of  Salem,  prominent  merchant  and  ship 
owner.  Upon  this  beautiful  tract  of  land,  the  following 
year,  Mr.  Kimball  erected  a  fine  residence,  the  equal 
of  any  in  the  town,  especially  in  its  setting,  which  was 
upon  the  side  of  Dale  hill,  overlooking  a  broad  stretch 
of  grass  and  trees.  Upon  the  summit  of  this  hill  there 
is  a  wonderful  view  of  all  the  country  round  about,  it  is 
believed  unexcelled  in  the  glory  of  autumn  foliage  and 
in  the  verdure  of  spring-time.  Mr.  Kimball  demolished 
the  old  Nichols  house,  which  stood  on  the  main  highway 


224  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

north  of  his  new  house.    He  did  not  live  long  to  enjoy 
the  home,  for  he  died  in  Paris  in  1867. 

Philip  H.  Wentworth,  who  came  here  from  Boston 
with  his  family  about  1865,  was  the  next  owner.  He 
was  at  the  time  engaged  in  a  successful  mercantile  busi- 
ness in  Boston,  which  he  conducted  until  1872,  when 
the  great  Boston  fire  swept  away  in  a  few  hours  the 
fortune  which  he  had  accumulated.  He  never  quite  re- 
covered from  the  effects  of  this  calamity,  but  with  char- 
acteristic courage  he  bore  his  heavy  reverses,  and  having 
the  confidence  of  the  business  world  was  able  to  continue 
for  a  few  years  longer.  He  and  his  wife  were  instru- 
mental in  forming  a  Unitarian  church  in  Danvers,  the 
latter  also  being  the  organizer  and  first  president  of  the 
Danvers  Women's  Association.  The  Wentworths 
named  the  estate  "Locust  Lawn,"  and  here  the  family 
entertained  generously,  the  young  people  extending 
their  hospitality  to  friends  from  far  and  near.  He 
greatly  improved  the  grounds,  making  avenues  through 
the  wooded  places,  planting  trees  and  shrubs  and  culti- 
vating several  acres  of  farm  land.  The  view  from  the 
front  veranda  of  a  broad  expanse  of  lawn,  with  woods 
in  the  distance  and  flowers  in  abundance,  was  and  still  is 
unsurpassed  in  this  vicinity.  The  elm  tree  which  stands 
at  the  entrance  gates  is  one  of  the  largest  in  Essex 
County,  and  was  planted  there  by  one  of  the  Princes 
in  1760.  Mr.  Wentworth  died  in  1886,  and  for  a  while 
the  family  continued  their  residence  here,  but  ultimately 
returned  to  Boston.  About  1893,  the  heirs  sold  the 
estate  to  Mrs.  Leopold  Morse  of  Boston,  who  made 
many  changes  in  the  mansion  house  and  rebuilt  the  barns 
and  other  farm  buildings.  She,  with  her  two  sons,  Tjder 
and  Isadore,  resided  here  summers  for  many  years. 
After  another  short-term  ownership,  in  1917  the  estate 
was  purchased  by  Mrs.  Oda  (Howe)  Nichols,  wife  of 
Dr.  Nichols,  superintendent  of  the  State  Infirmary  at 


"LOCUST  LAWN" 
The  estate  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  John  Holyoke  Nichols 


THE  HOWE  RESIDENCE,  PEABODY  AVENUE 


"MAPLEBANK" 
The  Driver  —  Spring  —  De  Normandie  House,  Spring  Street 


THE  PHTLTJPS  -  LAWRENCE  —  SANPERS  HOUSE 

Simiiy  .street 
From  a  photograpli  in  the  i86o's 


OLD  AXD  HISTORIC  ESTATES  225 

Tewksbuiy,  M^ho  intend  to  make  it  their  permanent  resi- 
dence. Thus  the  old  place  has  returned  to  the  possession 
of  the  family  that  owned  it  and  built  the  ancient  house 
more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago.  On  another 
part  of  this  original  farm,  Dr.  Nichols'  father,  Andrew 
Nichols,  built  his  large  residence  at  the  corner  of  New- 
bury and  Preston  streets  in  1881. 

"Maplewood." — This  beautiful  estate,  which  was  the 
residence  of  Stephen  D.  Massey  and  his  family  from 
1864  to  1892,  dates  back  to  the  earliest  settlement  of 
Danvers,  when  the  land  was  owned  by  John  Putnam, 
son  of  the  emigrant.  The  next  owner  was  Captain 
Thomas  Lothrop,  the  commander  of  "The  Flower  of 
Essex"  company  at  Bloody  Brook,  after  whose  death 
it  came  into  possession  of  the  Cheever  family.  The  old 
house  which  stood  here  for  so  many  years  was  built 
about  1697  by  Ezekiel  Cheever,  and  it  continued  in 
this  family  until  about  1750,  when  it  was  purchased  by 
John  Nichols.  Later  it  was  the  home  of  Levi  Preston, 
who,  in  1779,  married  Mehitable,  a  daughter  of  John 
Nichols,  and  thus  it  descended  to  William  Preston,  re- 
maining in  that  family  about  a  hundred  years.  In  1852 
Benjamin  S.  Newhall  of  Salem  bought  the  farm  and 
erected  a  fine  mansion  on  a  high  elevation  directly  across 
the  street  from  the  old  house.  Here,  with  his  wife,  who 
belonged  to  the  Grays  and  Endicotts  of  Salem  and 
Danvers,  and  three  sons,  Benjamin  E.,  Charles  and 
Heniy,  and  a  daughter,  he  carried  on  the  farm  until 
1864,  when  it  was  purchased  by  Stephen  D.  JNIassey,  a 
merchant  of  Boston.  During  Mr.  Massey's  ownership 
the  old  house  was  torn  down. 

The  mansion  house  stood  about  a  hundred  feet  back 
from  the  street  and  was  surrounded  by  a  grove  of  maple, 
pine  and  other  trees,  while  directly  in  front,  dividing  the 
avenues  of  approach  and  departure,  w^as  a  triangular 
plot  with  a  large  and  beautiful  pine,  flanked  by  two 


226  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

immense  maples.  The  house  was  forty  feet  square,  with 
an  ell  which  was  added  by  Mr.  Massey.  The  farm  com- 
prised one  hundred  acres  and  the  buildings  connected 
therewith  were  across  the  street,  near  the  site  of  the  old 
Preston  house,  with  a  convenient  "lodge"  or  farmhouse 
occupied  by  the  caretaker.  The  appointments  were  the 
best  that  could  be  obtained  and  the  stock  was  of  the 
highest  grade,  it  being  considered  for  years  one  of  the 
finest  estates  in  the  county.  Upon  the  death  of  Mr. 
Massey,  the  family  continued  to  live  there  until  1892, 
when  Mrs.  Lucretia  (Derby)  Massey  and  her  son, 
Dudley  A.  Massey,  having  erected  the  fine  residence  on 
Holten  street,  now  owned  by  William  B.  Sullivan,  Esq., 
removed,  after  a  residence  here  of  nearly  thirty  years, 
and  the  estate  was  purchased  by  Richard  B.  Harris  of 
Marblehead.  Then  followed  various  ownerships  of  short 
duration,  including  Dr.  W.  A.  Hitchcock,  Mrs.  Helen 
J.  Butler,  F.  W.  Webb  of  Boston,  and  a  Roman  Cath- 
olic school  for  boys,  the  "House  of  the  Angel  Guardian," 
until  in  1913  the  County  of  Essex  purchased  it  and 
established  there  the  Essex  Agricultural  School.  The 
mansion  house  was  burned  January  1,  1918,  and  on  its 
site  has  been  planted  a  memorial  grove  in  memory  of 
the  service  men  from  this  school  who  were  killed  in  the 
World  War. 

John  Greenleaf  Whittier  and  "Oak  Knoll." — 
One  day  in  the  early  eighteen-forties,  a  Salem  gentle- 
man who  was  enjoying  his  favorite  recreation,  riding 
horseback  through  the  country,  passed  along  the  road 
which  is  now  known  as  Summer  street.  His  eye  rested 
on  a  beautiful  stretch  of  land,  well  wooded  and  some- 
what neglected,  but  in  which  this  lover  of  nature  saw 
great  possibilities.  He  stopped  and  talked  with  the 
owner,  and  before  many  months  elapsed  had  negotiated 
for  the  purchase  of  this  property  of  over  one  hundred 


OI>D  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  227 

acres.  And  so  it  happened  that  William  A.  Lander, 
Esq.,  with  his  wife,  the  daughter  of  the  famous  Salem 
merchant,  Pickering  Dodge,  came  to  Danvers  in  1842 
and  erected  the  residence  which  is  now  known  as  "Oak 
Knoll."  At  that  time  the  old  Putnam  house,  the  home 
of  the  emigrant  John  Putnam,  was  standing  near  the 
old  well,  which  is  still  to  be  seen,  and  Mr.  Lander's 
farmer  occupied  the  James  A.  Putnam  house  next  be- 
low, which  a  half-century  before  had  sheltered  Mrs. 
Lander's  great-uncle.  Col.  Timothy  Pickering. 

Of  the  emigrant  John  Putnam's  house,  which  was  de- 
molished by  the  new  owner,  one  who  remembered  it  in 
her  youth,  INIrs.  Julia  A.  Philbrick,  writes:  "It  was  an 
old  unpainted  house,  with  two  front  rooms  and  a  long 
kitchen  in  the  rear,  and  it  was  in  this  kitchen,  with  its 
capacious  fireplace,  its  settle,  its  dressers  with  pewter 
and  crockery  ware,  with  dried  apples  and  squashes, 
crooked-necked,  and  herbs  adorning  the  walls  or  sus- 
pended from  the  ceiling,  we  girls  did  have  such  nice 
times,  playing  'blind-man's  buff'  and  other  games;  and 
then,  when  hungry,  we  could  pop  corn  or  open  a  cup- 
board under  the  dressers,  where  we  were  sure  to  find 
doughnuts  or  pancakes." 

IMr.  Lander's  estate  was  always  known  by  the  unpre- 
tentious name  of  "The  Farm."  With  a  great  love  for 
nature  and  art,  cultivated  by  careful  and  extensive  read- 
ing and  foreign  travel,  the  owner  devoted  himself  to 
books  rather  than  to  business.  He  laid  out  and  planted 
the  grounds  most  attractivelj^  and  succeeded  in  plan- 
ning, with  the  aid  of  nature,  to  produce  an  harmonious 
effect,  long  before  landscape  gardening  was  practised 
as  a  profession  to  any  extent  in  this  country.  He  pro- 
duced a  home  at  once  beautiful,  retired  and  cheerful, 
and  which,  in  the  hands  of  its  present  owners,  has  been 
more  prominently  brought  to  public  notice. 

Colonel  Edmund  Johnson  of  Boston,  looking  for  a 


228  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

quiet  country  residence  in  the  early  seventies,  purchased 
this  estate  of  Mr.  Lander  and,  with  his  daughters,  in- 
vited his  cousin,  John  Greenleaf  Whittier,  to  make  his 
home  with  them.  Accordingly,  in  the  spring  of  1875, 
Mr.  Whittier  gave  up  his  home  in  Amesbury  and,  with 
many  of  his  most  cherished  personal  effects,  removed 
to  "Oak  Knoll,"  as  the  poet  named  it.^  Although  the 
next  year  Mr.  Whittier  was  offered  by  a  friend  and 
admirer  the  gift  of  the  beautiful  estate  of  "Kernwood," 
in  Salem,  yet  he  chose  to  remain  in  Danvers.  Here  he 
cast  aside  the  cares  of  domestic  life.  Once  asked  about 
his  residence  in  Danvers,  Mr.  Whittier  replied,  "Say  it 
is  my  home.  I  retain  my  legal  residence  in  Amesbury, 
and  I  go  there  to  vote,  but  my  home  is  at  'Oak  Knoll.'  " 
He  loved  its  beautiful  groves,  its  broad  lawns,  and  its 
quaint  old  gardens,  with  winding  walks  and  fragrant 
borders  of  box.  He  took  much  pleasure  in  driving  along 
the  country  roads  and  secluded  byways  of  the  town, 
until  he  had  become  familiar  with  the  surrounding 
scenery.  The  mossy  nooks,  where  wild  flowers  grew  and 
song-birds  had  their  haunts,  renewed  their  grace  for  him 
with  every  fresh  baptism  of  the  morning.  The  last  time 
his  footsteps  wandered  in  the  familiar  paths,  he  returned 
with  his  hands  filled  with  wild  flowers,  remarking,  as 
he  came,  "I  think  I  have  never  heard  the  birds  sing  so 
loudly  or  so  sweetly  before."  The  oak  tree,  from  its 
position  upon  the  knoll  in  front  of  the  house,  gave  to 
his  mind  the  suggestion  of  naming  the  estate  "Oak 
Knoll."  This  tree  retains  its  foliage  long  after  the 
elms  and  many  other  trees  are  bare.  Its  leaves  become 
like  disks  of  gold,  and  when  they  are  fully  ripened  they 
fall  in  a  day,  like  the  dropping  of  a  great  curtain. 

Mr.  Whittier's   birthdays   were   always   observed   as 
holidays,  and  here,  during  the  last  sixteen  years  of  his 

1  From  "Reminiscences  of  John  Greenleaf  Whittier's  Life  at  Oak 
Knoll,"  by  Mrs.  Abby  J.  Woodman,  published  by  the  Essex  Institute 
in  1908. 


JOHN  GREENLEAF  WHITTIER 


'OAK  KNOLL 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  229 

life,  he  received  his  friends.  Large  parties  came  to 
greet  him,  bringing  fruits  and  flowers  and  many  other 
appreciative  tokens  of  love  and  esteem,  which  cheered 
and  warmed  his  heart  and  lightened  the  burdens  of  his 
age.  Letters  of  congratulation  were  received  from  all 
parts  of  the  country  and  from  foreign  lands.  At  other 
times  visitors  came  to  "Oak  Knoll"  as  pilgrims  to  a 
shrine.  They  came  as  strangers  to  grasp  his  hand  and, 
departing,  bore  witli  them  the  impress  of  a  sympathetic 
and  abiding  friendship. 

Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  was  a  frequent  visitor, 
and  on  one  occasion,  while  thej^  sat  before  a  glowing  fire 
on  a  chilly  autumn  day,  Mr.  Whittier  referred  to  the 
then  recent  publication  of  Dr.  Holmes'  poem,  "The 
Broomstick  Train."  Dr.  Holmes  turned  toward  Mr. 
Whittier,  with  his  most  genial  smile,  exclaiming,  "Good, 
isn't  it?"  "Capital,"  replied  Mr.  Whittier,  "but  thee 
forgot  one  thing."  "Did  I?  What  is  it?"  said  the 
Doctor.  "Why,"  replied  Whittier,  "thee  gave  Beverly 
her  beans  all  right,  but  thee  defrauded  Danvers  of  her 
onions." 

After  Mr.  Whittier  passed  his  seventieth  anniversary, 
he  published  more  than  one  hundred  poems,  nearly  all 
of  which  were  written  in  the  retirement  of  his  home  at 
"Oak  Knoll."  He  wrote  the  ballad,  "The  Witch  of 
Wenham,"  in  the  winter  of  1877.  The  previous  sum- 
mer, with  the  little  "Red  Riding  Hood"  of  his  poem, 
he  rode  over  the  rolling  slopes  of  Cherry  Hill,  once 
known  as  "Alford's  Hill,"  and  around  the  borders  of 
Wenham  Lake,  which  lay  embosomed  in  wild  shrubbery 
at  its  base.  During  the  drive  he  improvised  for  his  child 
companion  a  marvellous  tale  of  the  sad  days  of  witch- 
craft in  old  Salem  Village.  From  this  httle  romance 
there  came  the  happy  conception  of  this  beautiful  ballad. 
Near  to  "Oak  Knoll"  still  stands  "the  farmhouse  old," 
in  which,  according  to  tradition,  an  unfortunate  victim 


230  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN\^RS 

of  the  "dreadful  horror"  was  confined  in  its  garret, 
whence  she  escaped  by  shding  down  its  roof  to  the  arms 
of  one  who  had  come  to  her  rescue. 

The  desk,  "deep  scarred  by  raps  official,"  used  in  the 
Haverhill  schoolhouse,  which  the  poet  attended,  and 
immortalized  by  him  in  the  poem,  "In  School  Days,"  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  the  Danvers  Historical  Society. 

Mr.  Whittier  died  on  September  7,  1892,  while  on  a 
visit  with  friends  in  Hampton,  N.  H. 

Stephen  Dbivek  House. — About  1854,  another  Sa- 
lem business  man,  Stephen  Driver,  purchased  of  George 
Nichols,  Jr.,  of  Salem,  the  Prince  estate  on  the  lane 
now  known  as  Spring  street,  and  on  land  directly  op- 
posite the  old  house,  erected  a  fine  residence.  He  used 
the  old  house  as  a  farmhouse,  and  it  was  during  his 
ownership  that  the  first  story  was  built  out  even  with 
the  second  story,  it  being  originally  constructed  with  an 
overhanging  second  story.  Mr.  Driver,  who  had  been  a 
well-known  and  successful  shoe  manufacturer  in  Salem, 
was  quite  advanced  in  j^ears  v/hen  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Danvers.  At  one  time  his  partner  in  business 
was  Abel  Lawrence,  and  his  sons  were  also  associated 
with  him.  The  grounds  around  the  house  were  attrac- 
tively laid  out,  the  natural  beauties  of  the  locality,  with 
a  deep  ravine  on  one  side,  adding  to  its  picturesque  set- 
ting. Mr.  Driver  died  here  in  1868,  and  the  next  owner 
was  George  M.  Underwood  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  who 
resided  here  until  1872.  Mr.  Underwood  sold  the  place 
to  Jacob  E.  Spring,  a  wealthy  wool  merchant,  who  had 
had  extensive  interests  in  South  America,  and  who  con- 
tinued his  residence  here  until  1880,  when  he  built  the 
large  stone  mansion  near  by,  now  owned  by  St.  John's 
College.  During  the  next  ten  years,  short-term  tenants 
occupied  the  place.  In  1890,  the  Rev.  Eugene  De 
Normandie,  having  been  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
Unitarian  church,  purchased  it,  naming  it  "Maplebank,** 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  231 

and  resided  here  until  his  death.  The  estate  was  sub- 
sequently sold  to  Louis  F.  Gavet  of  Salem,  and  later, 
about  1912,  became  the  property  of  St.  John's  College. 

"PoRPHORY  Hall." — This  pretentious  residence, 
which  was  erected  in  1880  by  Jacob  E.  Spring,  at  what 
was  then  known  as  "Beaver  Brook,"  was  considered  one 
of  the  show  places  of  the  town  during  his  ownership. 
Mr.  Spring  was  a  native  of  Brownfield,  Me.,  born  in 
1833,  and  in  1845  he  went  to  Buenos  Ayres,  where  he 
passed  the  next  twenty  years  engaged  in  the  wool  busi- 
ness. In  1872  he  bought  the  Stephen  Driver  farm  and 
immediately  occupied  it  with  his  family,  consisting  of 
his  wife  and  seven  children,  the  two  eldest  daughters 
being  at  this  time,  however,  at  school  in  Germany.  The 
farm  then  included  the  old  Prince  house  and  also  the 
new  house  built  by  Mr.  Driver  across  the  way.  Mr. 
Spring  was  busily  emploj^ed  for  several  years  in  having 
the  stones  on  the  land  collected  and  converted  into  the 
fine  face  wall  which  surrounds  the  property  today,  and 
not  only  the  wall  but  the  cellar  and  much  of  the  build- 
ing Avere  constructed  of  rocks  found  on  the  premises. 
The  house,  which  is  54  by  70  feet,  is  of  Gothic  architec- 
ture and  is  most  substantially  built,  if  the  description 
at  the  time  of  its  erection  can  be  relied  upon,  which  states 
that  "the  cellar  wall  is  an  immense  mass  of  rock  and 
masonry,  upon  which  is  placed  split  granite  underpin- 
ning from  the  Lynnfield  quarry,  30  inches  high  and 
8  inches  thick,  and  inside  that  is  a  lining  of  brick.  On 
this  is  a  hewn  granite  belt  9  inches  high,  setting  out  some 
over  the  underpinning."  The  door  and  window  sills 
are  of  Nova  Scotia  freestone,  and  the  arches  are  of  face 
brick.  The  building  was  said  to  have  cost  $40,000,  a 
large  expenditiu-e  for  the  time.  There  are  at  least  forty 
different  kinds  of  stone  represented  and  most  of  them 
are  of  flinty  hardness.  They  vary  in  color  from 
pure  white  to  inky  black,  all  of  which  were  carefully 


232  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN^^ERS 

dressed  and  matched.  There  were  twenty-five  finished 
rooms  in  this  beautiful  mansion  and  every  modern  con- 
venience and  hixury  of  adornment  were  provided. 
Whittier  suggested  that  the  place  be  called  "Stone- 
croft,"  but  "Porphory  Hall"  was  finally  selected,  on 
account  of  the  variety  of  stone.  Here  the  family  enter- 
tained for  many  years,  until  the  vicissitudes  of  fortune 
made  it  imperative  to  dispose  of  the  estate,  and  it  was 
purchased  in  1891  by  the  Xaverian  Brotherhood,  a  Ro- 
man Catholic  institution.  Since  that  time  many  new 
buildings  have  been  added,  the  place  having  been  con- 
verted into  a  large  preparatory  school  for  boys. 

Howe  Residence. — In  1880,  Isaac  B.  Howe  of 
Clinton,  Iowa,  purchased  of  Joshua  Silvester  the  resi- 
dence on  Peabody  avenue,  now  occupied  by  his  daugh- 
ter. Miss  Margaret  Howe.  Mr.  Howe  went  from 
Northfield,  Vt.,  to  the  West  in  early  life,  and  became 
successful  in  his  business  undertakings.  He  settled  in 
Clinton  in  1859,  being  one  of  the  many  civil  engineers 
whom  Eastern  capitahsts  engaged  to  laj^  out  the  new 
trans-continental  line,  now  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad. 
Afterward  he  became  superintendent  of  the  Iowa  Divi- 
sion of  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern  Railroad,  and 
later  was  leader  in  several  engineering  projects,  until 
his  health  failed.  As  both  JNIr.  and  Mrs.  Howe's  for- 
bears resided  in  the  vicinity  of  Boxford  and  Middleton, 
Danvers  was  not  unfamiliar  to  them.  Mr.  Howe's 
health  did  not  improve  and  he  passed  away  within  the 
year,  but  the  family  continued  their  residence  here.  This 
house  is  probably  one  of  the  earliest  concrete  houses  in 
this  country.  It  was  built  in  1857,  on  land  owned  orig- 
inallj^  by  Nathaniel  Putnam,  son  of  the  emigrant  John, 
this  lot  being  part  of  the  orchard  of  Judge  Samuel  Put- 
nam, from  whose  heirs  it  was  purchased.  This  field  is 
historic,  as  Hanson  says,  in  his  history,  that  it  was  the 
common  belief  during  the  witchcraft  delusion,  that  here 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  233 

was  where  Satan  gathered  his  company  for  his  midnight 
riots,  and  where  he  appeared  well-dressed  in  a  suit  of 
black,  "like  an  ordinary  minister."  That  may  be  true, 
but  for  two  hundred  and  thirty  years  since  those  revels 
took  place,  peace  and  quiet  have  prevailed  in  that  neigh- 
borhood. There  was  originally  a  concrete  wall  sur- 
rounding the  grounds,  with  pagoda-like  concrete  gate- 
posts at  both  driveways,  which  were  replaced  by  the  fine 
face  wall  which  encloses  the  place  today.  Other  im- 
provements have  been  made  from  time  to  time,  both  in- 
side and  outside  the  house,  all  contributing  to  make 
what  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  private  residences  in 
this  vicinity.  Situated  in  close  proximity  to  the  Pea- 
body  Institute  grounds,  with  the  pond  on  one  side  and 
surrounded  with  fine  old  trees  and  well-kept  lawns,  it 
has  an  attractive  setting. 

"RivERBANK." — The  residence  of  John  Frederick 
Hussey  stands  on  the  site  of  the  house  of  one  of  the 
earliest  families  of  Salem,  the  Waters  family.  It  was 
built  probabh^  by  Robert  Cotta,  who  in  1664  sold  it 
to  John  Waters,  and  his  descendants  continued  to  own 
and  Occupy  it  until  it  was  destroyed  by  fire  about  1845. 
There  is  a  tradition  in  the  Waters  family  that  when 
Indian  wigwams  were  scattered  among  the  trees  and 
on  the  banks  of  Waters  river,  the  redmen  were  often 
very  friendly  and  made  neighboring  calls  at  the  houses 
of  the  white  people,  but  on  one  occasion  they  were  other 
than  friendly.  One  day  a  squaw  asking  for  cider,  which 
they  were  accustomed  to  give  to  the  Indians,  was  re- 
fused, because  the  housewife  was  unusually  busy  with 
domestic  affairs.  In  the  afternoon  they  left  the  baby 
of  the  family  and  went  across  the  river  to  do  the  daily 
milking.  When  they  returned,  baby  Lydia  was  missing, 
and  it  took  considerable  tact  and  argument  on  the  part 
of  the  mother  to  get  her  restored  from  the  Indian  who 
had  kidnapped  her.    This  child  married  Capt.  Johnson 


234  CHEONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

Proctor  of  South  Danvers,  and  became  the  ancestor  of 
many  of  Danvers'  best  citizens. 

This  place  passed  from  the  Waters  family  into  the 
possession  of  Matthew  Hooper,  a  grandson  of  "King" 
Hooper,  who  in  1843  had  purchased  the  Danvers  Iron 
Works.  He  had  lived  in  the  house  at  the  corner  of 
South  Liberty  street,  which  projected  over  the  river, 
and  which  was  demolished  when  Waters  river  bridge 
was  rebuilt  in  1898,  and  upon  the  burning  of  the  old 
Waters  house  he  bought  the  land  and  erected  the  fine 
brick  residence  and  stone  barn  now  standing  there.  The 
bricks  and  the  workmanship  were  said  to  have  been  sec- 
ond to  none  in  town.  Here  the  Hoopers  entertained 
extensively,  the  large  room  on  the  left  of  the  front  door 
being  used  for  many  a  dancing  party  in  the  old  days. 
They  were  connected  with  the  Universalist  church  and 
were  widely  known  for  their  generosity  and  sociability. 
It  was  their  custom  to  entertain  people  of  different  ages 
at  different  times.  Thej^  would  give  a  dancing  party 
for  the  young  people,  a  social  for  the  middle-aged 
and  at  other  times  an  old  people's  party.  It  is  need- 
less to  say  that  these  affairs  were  enjoyed  to  the  fullest 
extent.  It  has  been  said  that  on  more  than  one  occa- 
sion Mrs.  Hooper  was  known  to  have  entered  into  the 
young  people's  dances  with  much  vigor,  and  could  show 
the  youngsters  some  steps  when  she  was  seventy  or  more. 
Mr.  Hooper  inherited  from  his  grandfather  much  of  his 
hospitality  and  genial  disposition.  He  died  in  1858, 
and  the  house  was  sold  in  1864  by  Polly  Hooper, 
his  widow,  then  the  wife  of  William  Lord,  to  Samuel 
A.  Merrill,  for  $9,650.  Mr.  Merrill,  after  about  twenty 
years'  ownership,  partly  as  a  residence,  disposed  of  the 
property  about  1883  to  William  Penn  Hussey,  who 
made  extensive  alterations,  and  upon  w^hose  death  in 
1910,  it  came  into  the  possession  of  his  son  John  Fred- 
erick Hussey.    Mr.  Hussey  has  greatly  improved  the 


Courtesy  "  Old-Time  New  England  " ' 


Copyright  frank  Cousins  Art  Co. 


"THE  LINDENS,"  THE  RESIDENCE  OF  WARD  THORON,  ESQ. 

Built  about  1754,  by  Robert  Hooper,  Esq.,  of  Marblehead 

Occupied  by  Gen.  Gage,  the  Royal  Governor,  as  headquarters,  in  1774 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  235 

estate  and  has  revived  much  of  the  old-time  hospitality 
which  the  house  enjoyed  in  its  early  days. 

"The  Lindens." — This  historic  house  was  built  by 
Robert  Hooper,  Esq.,  of  Marblehead,  about  1754.  It 
still  remains  a  fine  example  of  eighteenth  century  archi- 
tecture, having  been  altered  very  little  by  its  successive 
owners.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  land  upon 
which  this  house  is  built  is  part  of  the  "Governor's 
Plain,"  a  two-hundred-acre  tract  west  of  the  "Orchard 
Farm,"  granted  in  1636  by  the  town  of  Salem  to  Gov- 
ernor Endicott.  The  account  of  the  occupation  of  this 
house  by  Governor  Gage,  from  June  to  September, 
1774,  is  related  elsewhere  in  this  volume,  and  we  have 
the  curious  coincidence  of  associating  with  this  estate 
the  first  Governor  of  Massachusetts  under  the  Colonial 
Charter,  who  was  the  first  private  owner  of  the  land, 
and  the  last  Governor  of  this  Commonwealth  under  the 
Provincial  Charter,  who  occupied  this  house  on  the  same 
land  just  previous  to  the  Revolution.  This  estate  is 
still  within  the  limits  of  the  present  town  of  Danvers. 

The  Revolution  found  Robert  Hooper's  affairs  much 
involved,  and  his  loyalty  to  the  King  helped  little  to 
disentangle  them.  He  was  obliged  in  1774  to  mortgage 
all  of  his  property  in  Danvers  to  his  English  corres- 
pondents, to  protect  large  advances  made  by  them ;  and 
eventually,  in  1798,  this  estate  passed  almost  directly 
from  the  mortgagees  into  the  possession  of  Judge 
Collins. 

Upon  Judge  Collins'  death,  in  1820,  a  pleasant  tra- 
dition recalls  that  it  occurred  in  midwinter,  and  that  his 
body  was  preserved  in  the  cellar  of  his  mansion  until  the 
spring  thaw  permitted  the  digging  of  his  grave  in  the 
field  opposite.  The  cofhn  was  filled  with  peppercorns. 
There,  for  many  years,  an  imposing  monument  marked 
the  spot.  Although  his  widow,  Susanna  (Tracey)  Col- 
lins, died  in  1827,  his  family  continued  in  possession 


236  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

until  1832,  when  his  daughter,  Miss  Deborah  Colhns, 
sold  the  property  to  her  brother-in-law,  Capt.  Jeremiah 
Briggs,  of  Salem,  who  had  just  previously  married  her 
sister  Hepsebeth.  The  famous  White  murder,  which 
had  recently  taken  place  in  Salem,  made  Miss  Collins 
feel  she  did  not  want  to  reside  in  the  country,  and  was 
the  immediate  cause  of  her  disposing  of  "The  Lindens." 

In  a  few  months,  however,  Captain  Briggs  conveyed 
it  to  Gideon  Barstow,  also  of  Salem,  a  prominent  mer- 
chant engaged  in  foreign  trade,  who,  in  1836,  conveyed 
the  "great  house"  and  twenty-four  acres  of  land  to  Gil- 
bert and  Nathan  Tapley  for  $3,000,  the  latter  continu- 
ing in  the  ownership  until  1844.  The  next  owner  was 
the  Rev.  Petrus  Stuyvesant  Ten  Broeck,  a  retired  cler- 
gyman, who  opened  here  a  private  school  which  he  con- 
ducted for  about  five  years.  On  his  death  his  widow 
disposed  of  it,  and  during  the  next  ten  years  it  was 
successively  owned  hj  John  W.  Treadwell,  William  H. 
Jackson,  Joseph  Rider,  and  Charles  F.  Eaton,  mer- 
chant, of  Boston. 

Mr.  Eaton  conveyed  it  in  1860  to  Francis  Peabody, 
Esq.,  son  of  Col.  Francis  Peabody  of  Salem,  and  de- 
scended in  the  eighth  generation  from  Governor  Endi- 
eott,  the  original  owner  of  the  land.  The  house,  which 
had  been  much  neglected  since  the  days  of  the  Collins', 
was  thoroughly  repaired  bj^  Mr.  Peabody,  whose  natural 
good  taste  and  architectural  training  made  it  possible 
for  him  to  tactfully  adapt  the  original  house,  with  slight 
alterations,  to  modern  ideas  of  comfort.  The  result  of 
his  work  was  the  conversion  of  a  very  dilapidated  coun- 
try estate  into  a  most  attractive  country  residence.  The 
kitchen  wing  to  the  north  and  the  sun  porch  on  the  south 
were  added  bj^  JNIr.  Peabody.  He  also  altered  three 
chimney  breasts  by  substituting,  in  1860,  two  mantel- 
pieces from  his  grandfather,  Joseph  Peabody's  house  in 
Salem,  and  one  from  "Oak  Hill."    The  Joseph  Peabody 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  237 

mantelpieces  are  in  the  room  on  the  right  of  the  entrance 
door  and  in  the  bedroom  on  the  right  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs.  The  one  from  "Oak  Hill,"  placed  there  in  1873,  is 
in  the  northwest  bedroom  on  the  second  floor.  All  these 
were  designed  by  Samuel  JNIcIntire.  The  farmhouse, 
which  was  probably  built  by  Samuel  Endicott,  from 
whom  the  portion  of  the  estate  on  the  east  side  of  Sylvan 
Street  was  acquired,  and  the  farm  buildings  were  reno- 
vated by  Mr.  Peabody.  He  also  constructed  a  lodge  on 
Collins  Street,  the  stables  and  sheds  near  the  mansion, 
and  laid  out  the  gardens  to  the  west  of  it  on  the  site  of 
the  old  slave  quarters  of  Mr.  Hooper's  time.  In  this 
attractive  house  INIr.  and  INIrs.  Peabody  lived  for  a  full 
half  century,  until  their  respective  deaths  in  1910  and 
1911. 

Mr.  Peabody  served  for  forty-four  years  as  Treasurer 
of  the  Peabody  Institute  of  Danvers,  having  been  one 
of  the  original  Trustees  appointed  by  George  Peabody. 
His  death  severed  the  last  personal  tie  with  the  town's 
benefactor.  The  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Board  of 
Trustees  may  be  said  to  truly  express  the  thoughts  of 
all  who  had  the  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance:  "His  inter- 
est in  the  Institute  has  been  unfailing;  his  courtesy,  his 
consideration  of  others,  and  his  gracious  personality 
have  been  enjoyed  and  appreciated  by  the  many  trustees 
with  whom  he  has  been  associated  during  these  many 
years." 

After  the  death  of  his  mother  in  1911,  Capt.  Jacob 
Crowninshield  Rogers  Peabody  occupied  the  Lindens 
until  December,  1914,  when  it  was  sold  to  the  present! 
owner,  Ward  Thoron,  Esq. 

In  regard  to  the  extent  of  lands  forming  part  of  the 
estate  known  as  "The  Lindens,"  the  following  notes  will 
be  of  interest : 

Mr.  Hooper's  original  purchase,  made  December, 
1753,  was  of  28  acres,  at  the  northerly  end  of  a  40-acre 


238  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

tract  belonging  to  Dr.  Amos  Putnam  and  his  wife, 
Hannah  PhilHps  Putnam.  The  Putnam  land  had  an 
easterly  frontage  of  about  90  rods  on  the  Ipswich  high- 
way, extending  northerly  from  Rum  Bridge  Creek. 
Mr.  Hooper  acquired  the  northerly  60  rods  frontage. 
The  "Great  House,"  M^hich  was  finished  in  1754,  was 
located  at  about  the  centre  of  the  estate.  In  1755  and 
1767,  Mr.  Hooper  increased  his  holdings  by  the  pur- 
chase of  an  additional  12  acres  to  the  north,  so  that  his 
northern  boundary  coincided  with  the  southern  bound- 
ary of  the  famous  Allen  farm. 

When  he  mortgaged  his  Danvers  property,  in  April, 
1774,  to  Messrs.  Alexander  Champion  and  Thomas 
Dickson,  merchants  of  London,  to  secure  "the  payment 
of  £24,417/9/1  balance  of  amount  due  them  by  said 
Hooper  as  appears  by  their  account  rendered  December 
31,  1772,"  this  estate  was  one  of  three  then  owned  by 
him  in  Danvers,  and  was  described  as  follows : — 

"Containing  about  40  acres  whereon  the  Great  House 
stands,  bounding  easterly  on  the  road  leading  to  Ips- 
wich, southerly  on  land  of  Dr.  Amos  Putnam,  westerly 
on  land  of  John  Felton  partly  and  partly  on  Tapley's 
land,  northerly  partly  on  Tapley's  land  and  partly  on 
Tarbell's  land." 

These  40  acres  were  kept  intact  until  1832,  when 
Jeremiah  Briggs,  Judge  Collins'  son-in-law,  divided  it 
into  three  parcels,  viz. :  Twelve  acres  on  the  south,  which 
he  sold  in  1836  to  Daniel  Buxton;  the  house  with  24 
acres,  which  he  sold  in  1832  to  Gideon  Barstow;  four 
acres  on  the  northeasterly  corner,  the  disposition  of 
which  has  not  been  traced. 

In  1844,  Nathan  Tapley  still  further  partitioned  the 
property,  and  the  estate  conveyed  to  Petrus  Stuyvesant 
Ten  Broeck  consisted  only  of  the  southernmost  portion 
of  the  24  acres,  namely  7y2  acres  with  the  dwelling  house 
and   other   buildings.    When   Mr.    Peabody    acquired 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  239 

*'The  Lindens"  in  1860  there  were  but  7^/^  acres  of  land. 
He  added  18  acres  to  the  south,  besides  20  acres  oppo- 
site on  the  east  side  of  Colhns  Street.  After  his  death 
the  property  was  again  divided  into  the  three  parcels 
he  had  separately  acquired,  and  the  mansion  was  sold 
to  the  present  owner  with  about  six  acres  of  land.  Since 
then  the  twenty-acre  tract  on  the  east  side  of  Sylvan 
Street  has  been  re-acquired  and  the  estate  now  consists 
of  about  twenty-six  acres. 

BuRLEY  Farm. — This  old  estate,  known  for  more 
than  a  hundred  years  as  "Burley  Farm,"  is  one  of  Dan- 
vers'  most  beautiful  spots,  situated  in  the  heart  of  the 
town,  yet  so  secluded  that  it  seems  far  remoA-ed  from 
busy  traffic.  It  is  the  residence  of  George  Augustus 
Peabody,  Esq.,  and  is  one  of  the  few,  if  not  the  only 
estate  in  Danvers,  that  has  retained  practically  its  orig- 
inal 250  acres  for  more  than  two  hundred  years.  Later 
owners  have  also  added  to  that  number. 

In  the  17th  century  this  locality  was  known  as  "Gott's 
corner,"  and  its  owner  then.  Deacon  Charles  Gott,  with 
others,  conveyed  this  farm  to  John  Porter,  the  pioneer 
owner  of  Danvers  Plains.  Porter,  in  1673,  bequeathed 
it  to  his  son  Benjamin,  who,  dying  unmarried  in  1700, 
in  turn  bequeathed  the  farm  to  his  brother  Israel  Porter. 
From  Israel,  through  his  son  William  Porter,  it  was 
finall}^  purchased  in  17o0  by  Robert  Hooper,  Esq.,  of 
Marblehead.  In  1763,  when  Hooper  conveyed  the 
estate  to  William  Burnet  Browne,  son  of  William 
Browne,  of  "Folly  Hill"  fame,  there  was  a  dwelling 
house,  with  barn  and  other  buildings,  upon  the  land, 
then  in  occupation  of  Samuel  Leach,  who  probably  had 
charge  of  the  farm.  In  1773,  Squire  Browne,  then  of 
the  County  of  King  William  in  Virginia,  conveyed  the 
estate  to  Thomas  Fairweather  of  Boston  and  Abijah 
Willard  of  Lancaster.    During  the  Revolution,  in  1779, 


240  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN^TERS 

Fairweather  disposed  of  his  share  to  Richard  Derby, 
Jr.,  of  Salem,  and  in  1781,  Willard,  being  a  loyalist, 
an  "absentee  and  conspiritor,"  as  the  deed  states,  suf- 
fered confiscation  of  his  share,  which  was  sold  at  public 
vendue  to  Larkin  Thorndike,  Esq.,  a  native  of  Beverb/, 
then  residing  in  Ipswich.  There  was  apparently  upon 
the  estate  at  that  time  "a  large  mansion  house,  barn  and 
other  buildings,  together  with  a  landing-place  so-called, 
containing  half  an  acre  on  Frost  Fish  brook,  on  the 
south  side  of  the  road,  near  the  bridge." 

The  next  owner  was  Capt.  William  Burley,  then  a 
resident  of  Boston,  who  purchased  of  Thorndike  in 
1793,  and  from  whom  the  name  "Burley  Farm"  has 
descended  to  the  present  time.  His  holdings  also  in- 
cluded the  Lindall  Hill  section  of  the  town,  that  eleva- 
tion being  known  as  "Burley  Hill"  for  many  years. 
Captain  Burley  was  a  native  of  Ipswich,  the  son  of 
Andrew  and  Hannah  (Cogswell)  Burley.  His  father 
was  a  graduate  of  Har^^ard  in  1742,  and  the  family  had 
been  prominent  in  Ipswich  for  generations.  The  son 
had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
as  a  prisoner  had  been  confined  a  year  and  nine  months 
by  the  British  after  the  battle  of  White  Plains.  He 
held  a  commission  as  Captain  in  the  Continental  ser- 
vice. At  the  close  of  the  war,  in  1786,  he  married 
Susanna,  daughter  of  Gen.  Michael  and  Elizabeth 
(Choate)  Farley  of  Ipswich,  and  removed  to  Boston, 
where  he  resided  until  his  purchase  of  this  Danvers 
estate.  He  died,  aged  72  years,  at  "Burley  Farm,"  in 
1822,  "at  Beverley,"  as  the  records  state,  that  portion 
of  the  present  town  of  Danvers,  east  of  Frostfish  Brook, 
being  at  that  time  included  in  the  town  of  Beverly. 
Captain  Burley  left  legacies  to  the  towns  of  Ipswich 
and  Beverly,  to  be  expended  for  the  instruction  of  poor 
children  in  reading  and  the  principles  of  the  Christian 
religion. 


RESIDENCE  OF  GEORGE  AUGUSTU.-?  PEAi;OliY,  BURLEY  FARM 


EIGHTEENTH  CENTURY  SUiM.AIER  HOUSE  ON  THE  PEABODY  FARM 


CHESTNUT  TREES  IN   BURLEY  WOODS 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  241 

Upon  his  death  the  estate  came  into  the  possession  of 
his  daughter  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Frederick  Howes,  Esq., 
of  Salem.  Mr.  Howes  was  a  practising  attorney  with 
an  office  in  Salem,  and  represented  Danvers  in  the  Leg- 
islature of  1817.  He  served  as  President  of  the  Essex 
Agricultural  Society  and  of  the  Salem  Marine  Insur- 
ance Company.  Just  previous  to  1850  he  built  the 
present  mansion  house,  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Peabody, 
of  which  Edward  Cabot  of  Boston  was  the  architect. 
]Mr.  Howes  died  in  1855,  but  the  family  continued  in 
ownership  for  many  years.  The  tragic  death  of  Miss 
Lucy  Howes,  a  daughter,  in  the  summer  of  1854,  nat- 
urally resulted  in  the  family  giving  up  their  residence 
in  Danvers.  Miss  Howes  was  driving  with  her  sister 
through  Hobart  Street,  when  a  train  on  the  Essex  Rail- 
road, which  was  obscured  by  the  high  banking  on  either 
side  of  the  road  passing  over  the  Hobart  Street  cross- 
ing, struck  the  carriage,  throwing  out  both  occupants 
and  fatally  injuring  one.  This  shocking  accident  cast 
a  gloom  over  the  whole  community.  After  the  removal 
of  the  Howes,  the  house  was  occupied  during  the  sum- 
mer by  Dr.  Upham  of  Salem,  the  Cabots,  the  Bradlees, 
the  Blacks,  the  Endicotts,  and  others.  Samuel  Endicott 
Peabody,  Esq.,  resided  there  during  the  summer  of 
1878,  upon  his  return  to  this  country  from  England, 
where  he  had  been  engaged  in  the  banking  business  with 
the  house  of  J.  S.  Morgan  &  Co.,  which  succeeded  the 
firm  of  George  Peabody  &  Co. — the  philanthropist — 
the  same  year  in  which  he  purchased  "Kernwood,"  in 
North  Salem  for  a  permanent  residence. 

The  farmhouse  had  been  occupied  for  many  years 
by  various  families  who  were  either  employed  by  the 
owners  or  who  worked  the  farm  on  their  own  account. 
Among  these  in  the  eighteen-sixties  were  the  parents 
of  the  Hon.  William  Henry  Moody,  who  became  one 
of  the  ablest  members  of  the  bar  of  Essex  County  and 


242  CHRONICLES  OF  DAN^^RS 

the  most  distinguished  citizen  of  Danvers.  He  was  born 
in  Newbury,  December  23,  1853,  the  son  of  Henry  L. 
and  Melissa  A.  (Emerson)  Moody.  He  graduated 
from  the  Holten  High  School  in  1869,  and  from  Phil- 
lips Academy,  Andover,  Mass.,  in  1872 ;  A.  B.  Harvard, 
1876,  and  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Richard  H.  Dana 
in  Boston.  Admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1878,  he  began  prac- 
tice at  Haverhill.  In  1890  he  was  elected  District  At- 
torney of  Essex  County,  serving  in  that  capacity  until 
his  election  to  Congress  in  1895,  to  fill  the  unexpired 
term  of  Gen.  William  Cogswell,  deceased.  He  served 
in  Congress  until  1902,  when  he  was  appointed  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy  by  President  Roosevelt.  In  1904  he 
was  appointed  Attorney  General  of  the  United  States, 
which  position  he  occupied  until  his  appointment  as  a 
Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  in 
1906,  serving  until  ill  health  forced  him  to  retire.  He 
returned  to  Haverhill,  where  he  passed  away,  July  2, 
1917. 

In  1880,  "Burley  Farm"  was  purchased  from  the 
Howes  family,  probably  for  speculation,  by  Fred 
Adams,  who  the  following  year,  sold  it  to  George  Au- 
gustus Peabody,  Esq.,  brother  of  Mrs.  William  Crown- 
inshield  Endicott,  now  the  owner  of  the  Joseph  Pea- 
body  farm  at  Danvers  Highlands,  and  cousin  of  Francis 
Peabody,  Esq.,  then  owner  of  "The  Lindens,"  making 
three  fine  Danvers  estates  in  the  possession  of  members 
of  the  Peabody  family.  In  1882,  the  new  owner  brought 
his  wife,  Augusta  Balch  Neilson,  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
Lewis  Penn  Witherspoon  Balch  and  Anna  (Jay),  his 
wife,  who  was  a  granddaughter  of  Chief  Justice  John 
Jay,  to  this  house,  where  she  lived  until  her  death  in 
April,  1888.  Mr.  Peabody  is  a  graduate  of  Hansard 
in  the  class  of  1852,  being  at  present  (1923)  its  oldest 
alumnus.  He  has  been  an  extensive  traveller  in  his  own 
country,  in  South  America  and  in  Europe,  lias  been  a 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  243 

famous  sportsman,  noted  as  a  wonderful  shot,  and  has 
lived  the  last  forty  years  the  life  ofa  country  gentleman 
upon  his  Danvers  estate.  He  studied  law  in  Salem  in 
the  famous  office  of  Nathaniel  J.  Lord,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Essex  County  Bar,  but  never  actively 
practiced  his  profession.  Mr.  Peabody  served  for 
twenty-four  years  as  a  Trustee  of  the  Peabody  Insti- 
tute, Danvers,  previous  to  his  retirement  in  1916,  and 
has  been  most  generous  in  his  donations  to  local  public 
institutions,  as  well  as  to  institutions  outside  of  Danvers. 

The  Peabody  Farm. — This  estate,  which  has  long 
been  known  as  one  of  the  town's  beauty  spots,  is  the 
residence  of  Mrs.  William  Crowninshield  Endicott,  and 
of  her  son,  William  Crowninshield  Endicott,  Esq.,  and 
Mrs.  Endicott.  In  the  early  days  this  farm  was  in  the 
possession  of  the  Ingersoll  family,  and  in  1814  was  sold 
by  Capt.  Jonathan  Ingersoll,  a  Salem  shipmaster,  to 
Joseph  Peabody,  the  eminent  Salem  merchant.  It  has 
been  related  that  he  removed  to  Danvers  during  the  War 
of  1812,  when  it  was  feared  that  Salem  would  be  bom- 
barded, and  established  this  home  as  a  safe  retreat  for 
his  family.  It  is  also  said  that  he  hired  the  place  at 
first,  during  those  troublous  times,  for  storage  of  the 
valuable  cargoes  from  his  ships,  for  which  the  barns 
were  used,  one  of  which  is  now  standing.  Mr.  Peabody 
continued  to  reside  here  until  his  death  in  1844.  His 
widow  occupied  it  as  a  summer  residence,  and  upon  her 
death  in  1854,  her  son,  George  Peabody,  Esq.,  who  had 
purchased  the  place  from  the  estate  of  his  father,  con- 
tinued the  ownership.  For  many  years  Mr.  Peabody 
and  his  family  were  accustomed  to  pass  a  few  weeks 
here  each  season,  and  when  he  died  in  1892,  it  came  into 
possession  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Endicott. 

At  the  time  of  the  witchcraft  delusion  in  1692,  accord- 
ing to  Upham's  map,  a  house  was  standing  upon  the 


244  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

site  of  the  present  mansion.  Originally  the  house  was 
two  stories  high,  had  one  room  on  each  side  of  a  porch, 
with  rooms  in  the  second  story  which  faced  to  the  north. 
When  Mr.  Peabody  purchased  the  place  he  made  addi- 
tions, and  Mrs.  Endicott  also  has  greatly  enlarged  and 
improved  it.  The  parlor  has  the  same  furniture  and 
the  same  carpet  that  it  had  over  one  hundred  years  ago, 
and  in  the  present  library  is  the  old  crane  which  was  in 
the  fireplace  in  that  room  at  the  time  of  the  witchcraft 
delusion.  The  gray  mantelpiece  in  the  dining-room, 
and  a  pair  of  mahogany  doors,  with  carvings  by  Samuel 
Mclntire,  which  now  divide  the  hall  and  the  large  draw- 
ing-room, are  heirlooms  from  some  of  the  old  Salem 
houses. 

Trees  of  ancient  growth  surround  the  old  mansion, 
the  long  avenue  of  approach  being  most  attractive.  The 
gardens  are  of  especial  beauty.  In  the  center  of  one 
garden  is  a  large  tulip  tree,  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
examples  in  this  part  of  the  country ;  and  distinguishing 
features  of  the  place  are  the  oak  and  elm  trees,  and  the 
buckthorn  and  arbor  vitae  hedges,  fine  specimens  of 
their  kind.  At  the  end  of  the  garden  stands  a  little 
summer-house  with  a  quaint  pineapple  on  top,  which 
was  designed  by  the  late  Francis  Peabody,  Esq.,  some 
sixty  or  more  years  ago.  Beyond  is  a  long  walk  bor- 
dered by  high  hedges,  at  the  end  of  which  is  a  carved 
wooden  figure,  a  replica  of  one  at  Currymore  in  Ireland, 
the  estate  of  the  present  Marquis  of  Waterford.  This 
figure,  with  two  others  in  the  garden — the  Dancing 
Girls  of  Canova — were  carved  by  Ferdinand  Demetz 
St.  Ulrich  Groden,  in  the  Austrian  Tyrol,  in  1903. 

Overlooking  a  marvellous  rose  garden  there  is  a 
unique  summer-house,  two  stories  high  and  about  twenty 
feet  square.  It  was  built  for  Elias  Haskett  Derby, 
the  famous  Salem  merchant,  at  his  residence  in  Dan- 
vers,  now  Peabody,  from  designs  made  by  Mclntire, 


OLD  AND  HISTORIC  ESTATES  245 

and  was  completed  in  July,  1793,  at  a  cost  of  £lOO. 
The  noted  architect's  exquisite  taste  is  no  better  illus- 
trated than  in  this  structure.  An  arch  runs  through  it, 
with  four  doors,  two  on  either  side.  On  the  left  the 
doors  lead  into  two  small  rooms;  on  the  right,  a  door 
opens  upon  a  little  staircase  which  ascends  to  a  room 
about  eighteen  feet  square  with  eight  windows.  The 
summer-house  is  furnished  with  Chinese  furniture,  a 
Chinese  lantern  and  some  Chinese  figures.  In  the  spring 
of  1901  Mrs.  Endicott  purchased  this  house  and  re- 
moved it  to  the  farm.  Although  moved  a  distance  of 
four  miles,  this  century-old  building  was  not  damaged 
in  the  least,  the  plaster  being  not  even  cracked.  At 
present  there  is  a  figure  upon  the  front  of  the  summer- 
house  and  four  urns,  one  on  each  corner;  the  figure  is 
that  of  a  man  whetting  his  scythe,  all  of  which  were 
designed  and  carved  by  Mclntire. 

Joseph  Augustus  Peabody,  eldest  son  of  Joseph  Pea- 
body,  planted,  in  1817,  the  avenue  of  elms,  which  add 
so  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  place. 

Judge  Endicott,  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  first  settler 
in  Danvers,  Governor  John  Endecott,  was  a  native  of 
Salem  and  a  graduate  of  Harvard  in  the  class  of  1847. 
He  was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Judicial 
Court  of  Massachusetts  in  1873,  and,  in  1885,  was 
ofi'ered  by  President  Cleveland,  the  position  of  Secre- 
tary of  War,  which  he  accepted  and  ably  filled  for  four 
years.  Since  the  earliest  days  the  Endicott  family  has 
been  identified  with  the  town  of  Danvers. 

This  estate,  which  has  been  in  the  Peabody  family  for 
more  than  a  century,  laid  out  with  extreme  care  and 
receiving  constant  attention,  constitutes  what  is  con- 
ceded to  be  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  private  resi- 
dences in  this  vicinity. 


246  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

CLERGYMEN. 

The  following  natives  of  Danvers  have  become  clergymen : 
William  P.  Page,  born  1790;  Israel  W.  Putnam,  born  1786,  Con- 
gregationalist ;  Hiram  B.  Putnam,  born  1841,  Congregationalist ; 
Allen  Putnam,  born  1803,  Unitarian;  Moses  K.  Cross,  born  1812, 
Congregationalist;  Alfred  P.  Putnam,  born  1827,  Unitarian; 
Charles  H.  Learoyd,  born  1834,  Episcopalian;  William  W.  Silves- 
ter, born  1833,  Episcopalian;  J.  Herbert  Colcord,  born  1851,  Con- 
gregationalist; Francis  A.  Gray,  born  1857,  Universalist ;  John 
Daley,  C.  SS.  E.,  born  1858,  Eoman  Catholic;  Austin  Eice,  born 
1871,  Congregationalist;  Elliott  0.  Foster,  born  1883,  Congi'ega- 
tionalist;  Thomas  Moriarty,  born  1883,  Eoman  Catholic;  James 
McDewell,  C.  P.,  born  1889,  Eoman  Catholic. 

Others,  not  natives,  who  have  entered  the  ministry  from  Danvers : 
William  Clark,  James  Eichmond,  Charles  E.  Ewing,  George  Henry 
Ewing,  Addison  A.  Ewing,  H.  William  Hook,  Leonard  Murphy, 
S.J. 

PHYSICIANS. 

William  Griggs,  1692-1698;  Jonathan  Prince,  1729-1753;  Amos 
Putnam,  1744-1803;  Ebenezer  Putnam,  1745-1788;  Jonathan 
Prince,  Jr.,  1754-1759;  Samuel  Holten,  1756-1774;  Jonathan 
Cutler,  1758-1780 ;  Caleb  Eea,  1747-1760 ;  James  Phillips  Putnam, 
1768-1824;  Archelaus  Putnam,  1765-1800;  Caleb  Eea,  Jr.,  1778- 
1796;  Benjamin  Putnam,  1771-1801;  Samuel  Endieott,  1775- 
1800;  John  Fritz  Folkersamb,  1783-1785;  Andrew  Putnam,  1774- 
1782;  Joseph  Shed,  1805-1853;  Ebenezer  Dale,  1805-1834;  George 
Osgood,  1814-1863 ;  Archelaus  Fuller  Putnam,  1826-1859 ;  Andrew 
Nichols,  1808-1853;  Jeremiah  S.  Putnam,  1820;  Ebenezer  Hunt, 
1824-1874;  John  Bush,  1825-1826;  Charles  Carleton,  1835;  John 
E.  Patten,  1840-1846;  Humphrey  Gould,  1832;  David  A.  Gros- 
venor,  1839-1889;  Samuel  P.  Fowler,  1872;  Jesse  W.  Snow.  1850- 
1867 ;  Preston  M.  Chase,  1858-1887 ;  John  W.  Sawyer,  1867-1881, 
Butler  Hospital;  W.  Winslow  Eaton,  1867-1910;  Lewis  Whiting, 
1868-1895;  Woodbury  G.  Frost,  1878-1915;  Daniel  H.  Batchelder, 
1876;  Edgar  0.  Fowler,  1876-1884;  Edward  A.  Kemp,  1884-1903; 
Henry  F.  Batchelder,  1885-1901 ;  Charles  B.  Learoyd,  1890-1895 ; 
John  H.  Nichols,  from  1903  at  Tewksbury  Hospital;  Edward  P. 
Hale,  from  1881  at  Lenox;  John  J.  McGuigan,  began  in  1890  at 
Lynn;  Otis  P.  Mudge,  from  1907  at  Amesbury;  Anna  (Peabody), 


CI-ERGYMEN,  PHYSICIANS  AND  LAWYERS  247 

Marsh,  1905-1913,  Danvers  State  Hospital;  Harry  D.  Abbott, 
190G-1913;  Harry  C.  Boutelle,  1903-1915;  Susan  H.  Gibbs. 

Eesident  Physicians,  1923. — Frederick  W.  Baldwin,  Edward 
H.  Niles,  Edward  H.  Magee,  Charles  H.  Deering,  Herbert  L. 
Mains,  John  J.  Moriarty,  Clifton  L.  Buck,  John  F.  Valentine, 
Oliver  Sartwell,  Mrs.  Blanche  Sartwell,  Andrew  Nichols. 

Superintendents  op  Danvees  State  Hospital. — Calvin  S. 
May,  1878-1880;  Henry  E.  Steadman,  1880;  William  B.  Gold- 
smith, 1881-1886;  William  A.  Gorton,  1886-1888;  Charles  W. 
Page,  1888-1898;  Arthur  H.  Harrington,  1898-1903;  Charles  W. 
Page,  1903-1910;  Harry  W.  Mitchell,  1910-1912;  George  M.  Kline, 
1912-1916;  John  B.  McDonald,  1916. 

LAWYERS. 

Samuel  Holten,  Judge  of  Probate  and  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas  for  Essex  County. 

James  Putnam,  Attorney-General  of  Massachusetts,  and  Judge 
of  Supreme  Court  of  New  Brunswick. 

Timothy  Pickering,  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  of 
Essex  County. 

Samuel  Putnam,  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massachusetts. 

Benajah  Collins,  Judge  of  a  Court  at  Liverpool,  N.  S. 

Rufus  P.  Tapley,  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Maine. 

Nathan  Eead,  Special  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  of 
Essex  County  and  Chief  Justice  for  Hancock  County,  Maine. 

Arthur  A.  Putnam,  Judge  of  District  Court,  Worcester  Comity. 

William  C.  Endicott,  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 

David  Cummings,  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massachusetts. 

William  H.  Moody,  Justice  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court. 

Horace  L.  Hadley,  Judge  of  a  Court  in  Washington  Court  House, 
Ohio. 

Alden  P.  Wliite,  Judge  of  Probate  for  Essex  County. 

Mellen  Chamberlain,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Municipal  Court, 
Boston. 

George  B.  Sears,  Judge  of  District  Court,  Salem. 

Israel  W.  Andrews,  Trial  Justice,  Danvers. 

David  Mead,  Trial  Justice,  Danvers. 

Harry  E.  Jackson,  Associate  Justice  of  the  Ipswich  Police 
Court. 

Frederick  Howes,  Stephen  H.  Phillips,  Abner  C.  Goodell, 
William  Oakes,  Joseph  W.  Howe,  Willis  E.  Flint,  John  W.  Porter, 
Ernest  J.  Powers,  Edward  L.  Hill,  William  C.  Endicott,  Jr., 
Daniel    N.    Crowley,    Oscar    E.    Jackson,    William    B.    Sullivan, 


248  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

A.  Preston  Chase,  Edward  G.  Carr,  Elliott  Perkins^  Edward  N. 
Eobinson,  William  E.  Clapp,  Dennis  Lyons,  James  J.  Gaffney, 
Patrick  H.  Lyons,  Daniel  J.  O'Eourke,  J.  Frank  Hughes,  John 
H.  O'Neil,  Benjamin  Crowley,  William  B.  Sullivan,  Jr.,  Arthur  P. 
Sullivan,  Norman  Wilks,  Thomas  0.  Jenkins,  Edward  J.  Carey, 
Horace  J.  H.  Sears. 


V.     CIVIL  HISTORY. 


MODEEATORS. 

Daniel  Epes,  Esq.,  1752,  '53. 

Capt.  Thomas  Porter,  1754. 

Daniel  Epes,  Jr.,  Esq.,  1755-57,  '59,  '60,  '65-67. 

Samuel  Flint,  1758. 

Thomas  Porter,  1761-63,  '71,  '72. 

Deacon  Malachi  Eelton,  1764. 

Samuel  Holten,  Jr.,  1768,  '81,  '84,  '86,  '87,  '89,  '90,  1796-1812 

(24  years). 
Gideon  Putnam,  1769,  '79,  '83,  '85,  '93,  '94,  '95. 
Archelaus  Dale,  1770,  '73,  '76. 

Capt.  William  Shillaber,  1774,  '75,  '77,  '78,  '88,  '91,  '92. 
Amos  Putnam,  1780,  '82. 
Samuel  Page,  1813,  '14. 
Dr.  Andrew  Nichols,  1815-17. 
Dr.  Joseph  Shed,  1818. 
Dr.  George  Osgood,  1819,  '21,  '25,  '35. 
Capt.  Thomas  Putnam,  1820. 
Nathan  Poor,  1822,  '23,  '24. 
Robert  S.  Daniels,  1826. 
Elias  Putnam,  1827,  '29,  '31. 
Lewis  Allen,  1828,  '46,  '48,  '50,  '52,  '54. 
John  W.  Proctor,  Esq.,  1830,  '32,  '34,  '36,  '38,  '40. 
John  Preston,  1833,  '43. 
Abel  Nichols,  1841. 
Daniel  P.  King,  1842. 
Jonathan  Shove,  1844. 
Moses  Black,  Jr.,  1845,  '47,  '51. 
James  D.  Black,  1849,  '53,  '55,  '57,  '65. 
Israel  W.  Andrews,  1856,  '70,  '77. 
William  Endicott,  1858,  '59,  '62,  '63,  '66-69. 
Arthur  A.  Putnam,  Esq.,  1860,  '61. 
Charles  P.  Preston,  1864. 
George  Tapley,  1871,  '72,  '74,  '78-81. 
George  J.  Sanger,  1873,  '75,  '76,  '82-84. 

(249) 


250  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

Daniel  N.  Crowley,  Esq.,  1885-86,  '91,  '93,  1900. 

Alden  P.  White,  Esq.,  1887,  '89,  '90,  '92. 

Israel  W.  Andrews,  1888. 

Addison  P.  Learoyd,  1894-1900. 

Frank  C.  Damon,  1901. 

A.  Preston  Chase,  1902-11,  '13-21. 

Jacob  C.  E.  Peabody,  1912. 

J.  Prank  Hughes,  1922. 


TOWN  CLERKS. 

1752-53.— Daniel  Epes,   Jr.  1778-86.— Stephen  Needham. 

1754-56. — James  Prince.  1787. — Jonathan  Sawyer. 

1757.— Benjamin  Prescott,  Jr.  1788-90.— James  Porter. 

1758-60.— James  Prince.  1791-94.— Gideon  Foster. 

1761.— Benjamin  Prescott,  Jr.  1795-1800.— Joseph  Osborn,  Jr. 

1762.— Gideon  Putnam.  1801-28.— Nathan  Felton. 

1763.— Thomas  Porter.  1829-34.— Benjamin  Jacobs. 

1764-66.— Archelaus  Dale.  1835-53.— Joseph  Shed. 

1767.— Thomas  Porter.  1854-55.— Nathan  H.  Poor. 

1768-71.— Samuel  Holten,  Jr.  1856.— Edwin  F.  Putnam  . 

1772.— Gideon  Putnam.  1857-85.— A.  Sumner  Howard. 

1773-75.— Samuel  Holten,  Jr.  1886-88.— Joseph  E.  Hood. 

1776.— Stephen  Needham.  1889-1921.— Julius  Peale. 

1777.— Samuel  Flint.  1921.— A.  Preston  Chase. 


TREASDEERS. 

1752-53.— James  Prince.  1815-18.— Ward  Poole. 

1754.— Samuel  King.  1819-24.— Edward  Southwick. 

1755-56.— Joseph  Osborn.  1825-31.— Ebenezer  Shillaber. 

1757-58.— Cornet  Sam'l  Holten.  1832,  '41-48.— Robert  S.  Daniels. 

1759.— Joseph  Southwick.  1833-40.— Stephen  Upton. 

1760-69.— James  Smith.  1849.— Abner  Sanger. 

1770-72.— Thomas  Porter.  1850-55.— Francis  Baker. 

1773-74.— Jeremiah  Page.  1856-82.— William  L.  Weston 
1775-83.— Stephen  Proctor.  (27  years). 

1784-88.— Gideon  Putnam.  1882-1888.— x\.  Frank  Welch. 

1789-1812.— Dr.  Samuel  Holten  1889-1905.— Addison  P.  Learoyd. 

(24  years).  1905-23.— A.  Preston  Chase. 
1813-14.— Samuel  Page. 


CIVIL  HISTORY 


251 


SELECTMEN. 


1752.— Daniel  Epes. 

Capt.  Samuel  Flint. 

Deacon  Cornelius  Tarbell. 

Stephen  Putnam. 

Samuel  King. 

Daniel  Gardner. 

Joseph  Gardner. 
1753.— Daniel  Epes,  Jr. 

Capt.  Thomas  Flint. 

Cornet  Samuel  Holten. 

Samuel  King. 

Lieut.  David  Putnam. 

Ensign  John  Procter. 

Jasper  jSTeedham. 
1754. — Daniel  Epes,  Jr. 

Jasper  Needham. 

Samuel  Putnam. 

James  Prince. 

Ebenezer  Goodale. 
1755. — Daniel   Epes,   Jr. 

Jasper  Needham. 

Capt.  John  Proctor. 

James  Prince. 

Capt.  Samuel  Flint. 
1756. — Daniel  Epes,  Jr. 

Daniel  Marble. 

Capt.  Thomas  Flint. 

Deacon  Cornelius  Tarble. 

James  Prince. 
1757. — ^John  Preston. 

Francis  Nurse. 

Daniel  Gardner. 

Benj.  Prescott,  Jr. 

Joseph  Southwick. 
1758. — James  Prince. 

Nathan  Procter. 

Jasper  Needham. 

Bartholomew  Eea. 

Benjamin  Upton. 


1759. — James  Prince. 

Capt.  Samuel  Flint. 

John  Epes. 

Ezekiel  Marsh,  Jr. 

Ebenezer  Jacobs. 
1760. — James  Prince. 

Jasper  Needham. 

John  Epes. 

John  Nichols. 

John  Preston. 
1761.— Samuel  Holten. 

Nathaniel  Pope. 

Abel  Mackintire. 

Lieut.  Samuel  King. 

Benj.  Prescott,  Jr. 
1762.— Abel  Mclntire. 

Benj.  Eussell,  Jr. 

Daniel  Purrington. 

Gideon  Putnam. 

Joseph  Putnam. 
1763.— Thomas  Porter. 

Samuel  Holten. 

John  Epes. 

John  Proctor,  Jr. 

John  Preston. 
1764.— Benj.  Putnam. 

Archelaus  Dale. 

John  Putnam. 

Stephen  Procter. 

Benj.  Moulton. 
1765.— Benj.  Moulton. 

John  Putnam. 

Stephen  Procter. 

Jona.  Buxton. 

Arch.  Dale. 
1766.— Archalaus  Dale. 

Benj.  Upton. 

Jonathan  Buxton. 

John  Swinerton. 

Jonathan  Tarble. 


252 


CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 


1767.— Samuel  Holten,  Jr. 
John  Epes. 
Jonathan  Tarbell. 
Jonathan  Buxton. 
Ebenezer  Groodell. 
1768. — Jonathan  Buxton. 
John  Epes. 

Samuel  Holten,  Jr. 

Ebenezer   Goodell. 

Gideon  Putnam. 
1769.— Samuel  Holten,  Jr. 

Ebenezer  Goodale. 

Samuel  Gardner. 

William  Shillaber. 

Samuel  King. 
1770.— Samuel  Holten,  Jr. 

Lieut.  John  Preston. 

John  Putnam. 

Jonathan  Buxton, 

Capt.  Wm.  Shillaber. 
1771.— Capt.  Wm.  Shillaber. 

Jonathan  Buxton. 

Gideon  Putnam. 

Benj.  Proctor. 

Samuel  Holten,  Jr. 
1772.— Samuel  Flint. 

Wm.  Shillaber. 

Gideon  Putnam. 

Jonathan  Buxton. 

Benj.  Procter. 
1773.— Samuel  Holten,  Jr. 

John  Putnam. 

Lieut.  Arch.  Putnam. 

Benj.   Porter. 

Stephen  Needham. 
1774._Samuel  Holten,  Jr. 

Lieut.  Arch.  Putnam. 

William  Poole. 

Stephen  Needham. 

Jonathan  Buxton. 
1775.— Dr.  Samuel  Holten. 

Capt.  Wm.  Shillaber. 

Capt.  Wm.  Putnam. 


1776. 


1777. 


Stephen  Needham. 

Ezra  Upton. 
-John  Epes. 

Wm.  Shillaber. 

Stephen  Needham. 

Ezra  Upton. 

Edmund  Putnam, 
-Capt.  John  Putnam. 

Capt.  Samuel  Flint. 

Capt.  Wm.  Shillaber. 

Stephen  Needham. 

Phineas  Putnam. 
1778.— Stephen  Needham. 

Capt.  Wm.  Shillaber. 

Benj.  Procter. 

Capt.  John  Putnam. 

Phineas  Putnam. 

-Col.  Enoch  Putnam. 

Ezra  Upton. 

Stephen  Needham. 

Major  Samuel  Epes. 

James  Prince. 

-Jona.  Sawyer. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Capt.  Joseph  Porter. 

Ezra  Upton. 
1781. — Capt.  Joseph  Porter. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Stephen  ISTeedliam. 

Samuel  White. 

Major  Samuel  Epes. 
1782. — Stephen  N'eedham. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Jonathan  Sawyer. 

Capt.  Joseph  Porter. 

Capt.  Gideon  Foster. 
. — Capt.  Gideon  Foster. 

Daniel  Putnam. 
John  Walcott. 

Aaron  Putnam. 
Stephen  Needham. 


1779. 


1780.- 


1783. 


CIVIL  HISTORY 


258 


1784. — Stephen  Needham. 

Major  Caleb  Low. 

Aaron  Pntnam, 

Capt.  Gideon  Foster. 

Daniel  Putnam. 
1785.— David  Prince. 

Jonathan  Sawyer. 

Stephen  Needham. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Col.  Jeremiah  Page. 
1786.— Stephen  Needham. 

Stephen  Putnam. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Capt.  Jona.  Procter. 

Capt.  Gideon  Foster. 
1787. — Jona.  Sawyer. 

Samuel  Gardner. 

Amos  Tapley. 

David  Prince. 

Timothy  Leech. 
1788.— David  Prince. 

Capt.  Samuel  Page. 

Amos  Tapley. 

James  Porter. 

Stephen  Keedham. 
1789.— David  Prince. 

Samuel  Page. 

John  Kettell. 

Amos  Tapley. 

James  Porter. 
1790.— David  Prince. 

Capt.  Samuel  Page. 

John  Kettell. 

James  Porter. 

John  Brown. 
1791. — Stephen  Needham. 

Gideon  Foster. 

John  Kettell. 

David  Prince. 

Amos  Tapley. 
1792.— Gideon  Foster. 

David  Prince. 

Samuel  Page. 


John  Kettell. 

Stephen  Needham. 
1793.— Gideon  Foster. 

David  Prince. 

John  Kettell. 

Joseph  Putnam. 

Stephen  Needham. 
1794.— David  Prince. 

Stephen  Needliam. 

Samuel  Page. 

John  Kettell. 

Gideon  Foster. 
1795. — Joseph  Osborn,  Jr. 

Stephen  Needham. 

David   Prince. 

John  Kettell. 

Zerubbabel  Porter. 
1796. — Joseph  Osborn,  Jr. 

Samuel  Page. 

John  Kettell. 

Stephen  Needham. 

Daniel  Putnam. 
1797.— Joseph  Osborn,  Jr. 

Nathl.   Webb. 

Zerubbabel  Porter. 

Amos  Tapley. 

Elijah  Flint. 
1798.— Joseph  Osborn,  Jr. 

Samuel  Page. 

John  Kettell. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Nathan   Felton. 
1799.— Nathan  Felton. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

John  Kettell. 

Amos  Tapley. 

Joseph  Osborn,  Jr. 
1800. — Joseph  Osborn,  Jr. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Samuel  Page. 

John  KetteU.    • 

Nathan  Felton. 


254 


CHRONICLES  OF  DANYERS 


1801.— Samuel  Page. 

Joseph  Putnam. 

Nathan  Felton. 

Zerubbabel  Porter. 

Elijah  Flint. 
1802.— N^athan  Felton. 

Johnson  Procter. 

Sylvester  0  shorn. 

Jona.  Walcut. 

John  Fowler. 
1803.— Nathan   Felton. 

Sylvester  Osbom. 

John  Preston. 

Jona.  Walcut. 

John  Fowler. 
1804.— Nathan  Felton. 

Sylvester  Osbom. 

Jonathan  Walcut. 

Johnson  Procter. 

John  Fowler. 
1805.— Nathan  Felton. 

Amos  Tapley. 

Sylvester  Osbom. 

Jonathan  Walcut. 

John  Fowler. 
1806.— Nathan  Felton. 

Sylvester  Osbom. 

Jonathan  Walcut. 

Thomas  Putnam. 

John  Fowler. 
1807.— Nathan  Felton. 

Sylvester  Osbom. 

Jonathan  Walcut. 

John  Fowler. 

Amos  Tapley. 
1808. — Thomas  Putnam. 

Nathan  Felton. 

Sylvester  Procter. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Amos  Tapley. 
1809.— Nathan  Felton. 

Amos  Tapley. 

Levi  Preston. 


Thos.  Putnam. 

Daniel  Putnam. 
1810.— Nathan  Felton. 

Nathaniel  Putnam. 

Sylvester   Procter. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Peter  Cross,  Jr. 
1811.— Nathan  Felton. 

Levi  Preston. 

Jonathan  Walcut. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Andrew  Nichols,  Jr. 
1812.— Nathan   Felton. 

Jonathan  Walcut. 

Eichard  Osborn. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Nathaniel  Putnam, 
1813.— Nathan  Felton. 

Jonathan  Walcut. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Nathaniel  Putnam. 

Eichard  Osborn. 
1814.— Nathan  Felton. 

Jonathan  Walcut. 

Nathaniel  Putnam. 

James   Brown. 

Jolin  Page. 
1815.— Nathan  Felton. 

Nathaniel  Putnam. 

Jonathan  Walcut. 

John  Page. 

Sylvester  Procter. 
1816.— Nathan   Felton. 

Sylvester   Procter. 

Nathaniel  Putnam. 

Jonathan  Walcut. 

Daniel  Putnam, 
1817.— Nathan  Felton. 

Jonathan  Walcut. 

Sylvester   Procter. 

Daniel  Putnam. 

Nathaniel  Putnam. 


CIVIL  HISTORY 


255 


1818.— Joseph   Shed. 

Israel  Putnam,  Jr. 

Thomas  Putnam. 

Jesse  Putnam. 

Moses  Preston,  Jr. 
1819. — Israel  Putnam,  Jr. 

Thomas  Putnam. 

Jesse  Putnam. 

Joseph  Shed. 

Moses  Preston,  Jr. 
1820. — Israel  Putnam,  Jr. 

Thomas  Putnam. 

Jesse  Putnam. 

Joseph  Shed. 

Moses  Preston,  Jr. 
1821. — Thomas  Putnam. 

Joseph  Shed. 

Jesse  Putnam. 

Moses  Preston,  Jr. 

Elias  Putnam. 
1822. — Jesse  Putnam. 

Elias  Putnam. 

Nathan  Pelton. 

Moses  Preston,  Jr. 

Joseph  Stearns. 
1823. — Jesse  Putnam. 

Joseph   Steams. 

Elias  Putnam. 

Moses  Preston,  Jr. 

Jonathan  Shove. 
1824. — Jesse  Putnam. 

Joseph   Steams. 

Elias  Putnam, 

Moses  Preston. 

Jonathan  Shove. 
1825, — Jesse  Putnam. 

Elias  Putnam. 

Joseph  Steams. 

Moses  Preston. 

Jonathan  Shove. 
1826. — Jesse  Putnam. 

Jonathan  Shove. 

Joseph  Steams. 


Elias  Putnam. 

Moses  Preston. 
1827. — Jesse  Putnam. 

Elias  Putnam. 

Jonathan  Shove. 

Robert  S.  Daniels. 

Nathan  Felton. 
1828. — Jesse  Putnam. 

Jonathan  Shove. 

Eobert  S.  Daniels. 

Nathan  Poor. 

Elias  Putnam. 
1829. — Jesse  Putnam. 

Elias  Putnam. 

Jonathan  Shove. 

Nathan  Poor. 

Daniel  P.  King. 
1830.— Elias  Putnam. 

Jonathan  Shove. 

Nathan  Poor. 

Jesse  Putnam. 

Benjamin  Jacobs. 
1831. — John  Preston. 

Benjamin  Jacobs. 

Jacob  F.  Perry. 

Eben  Putnam,  Jr. 

Joseph  Shed. 
1832. — Benjamin  Jacobs, 

Kendall  0 shorn. 

Lewis  Allen. 

John  Preston. 

Jacob  F.  Perry. 
1833. — John  Preston. 

Kendall  Osborn. 

Jacob  F.  Perry. 

Benjamin  Jacobs. 

Nathaniel  Pope. 
1834. — John  Preston. 

Joseph  Tufts,  Jr. 

Benjamin  Jacobs. 

Nathaniel  Pope. 

Kendall  Osborn. 


256 


CHRONICLES  OF  DAN  VERS 


1835. — Nathaniel  Pope. 

Samuel  P.  Fowler. 

Eben  Putnam. 

Lewis  Allen. 

Henry  Poor. 
1836. — Lewis  Allen. 

Nathaniel  Pope. 

Eben  S.  Upton. 

Samuel  P.  Fowler. 

Joseph  Tufts,  Jr. 
1837. — Nathaniel  Pope. 

Abel  Nichols. 

Samuel  P.  Fowler. 

Joseph  Tufts,  Jr. 

Ebenezer  Sutton. 
1838.— Samuel  P.  Fowler. 

Elijah  Upton. 

Joseph  Tufts,  Jr. 

Eben  Sutton. 

Nathaniel  Pope. 
1839.— Elijah  Upton. 

Nathaniel  Pope. 

Samuel  P.  Fowler. 

Joseph  Tufts,  Jr. 

Abel  Nichols. 
1840.— Elijah  Upton. 

Nathaniel  Pope. 

Andrew  Torr. 

Andrew  Lunt. 

Samuel  P.  Fowler. 
1841. — Henry  Poor. 

William  Black. 

Nathaniel  Pope. 

Elijah  Upton. 

Joshua   Silvester. 
1842.— Elijah  Upton. 

Joshua  Silvester. 

William  Black. 

Joseph  Poor,  Jr. 

Wingate  Merrill. 
1843.— Wingate  Merrill. 

Joseph  Poor,  Jr. 

Joshua  Silvester. 


WilHam  Black. 

Perley  Goodale. 
1844.— Wingate  Merrill. 

Joshua  Silvester. 

Joseph  Poor,  Jr. 

Henry  Fowler. 

Eben  King. 
1845.— Wingate  Merrill. 

Lewis  Allen. 

Henry  Fowler. 

Nathaniel  Pope. 

William  Dodge,  Jr. 
1846.— Wingate   Merrill. 

Kendall  Osborn. 

Nathaniel  Pope. 

William  Dodge,  Jr. 

Lewis  Allen. 
1847. — Lewis  Allen. 

Wingate  Merrill. 

Nathaniel  Pope. 

William  Dodge,  Jr. 

Moses  Black,  Jr. 
1848. — Nathaniel  Pope. 

Wingate  Merrill. 

Moses  Black,  Jr. 

Lewis  Allen. 

Kendall  Osborn. 
1849.— Otis  Mudge. 

Elias  Savage. 

Abel  Preston. 

William  Dodge,  Jr. 

Eben  S.  Upton. 
1850. — Lewis   Allen. 

Eichard  Osborn. 

Samuel  Preston. 

Kendall  Osborn. 

Francis  Dodge. 
1851. — Kendall  Osborn. 

Francis  Dodge. 

William  Endicott. 

Daniel  Emerson. 

Aaron  F.  Clark. 


1852.— 


1853. 


1854. 


1855.— 


1856.— 


1857.— 


1858.— 


1859, 


I860.— 


1861.— 


1862.— 


1863 


CIVIL 

HISTORY                                      2 

— Kendall  Osborn. 

John  A,  Putnam. 

Richard  Osborn. 

1864.- 

—Jacob  F.  Perry. 

William  Endicott. 

John  A.  Putnam. 

Aaron  F.  Clark. 

William  Dodge,  Jr. 

Edwin  Mudge. 

1865.- 

—Jacob  F.  Periy. 

— Kendall  Osborn. 

William  Dodge,  Jr. 

Leonard  Poole. 

John  A.  Putnam. 

Edwin  Miidge. 

1866.- 

—Jacob  F.  Perry. 

Aaron  Putnam. 

William  Dodge,  Jr. 

Elias   Savage. 

John  A.  Putnam. 

— Lewis  Allen. 

1867.- 

—William  Dodge,  Jr. 

Leonard  Poole. 

Simeon  Putnam. 

Joel  Putna^m. 

Henry  A.  Perkins. 

Benj.  F.  Hutchinson. 

1868.- 

—William  Dodge,  Jr. 

Nathan  H.  Poor. 

Simeon  Putnam. 

— Abel  Preston. 

Henry  A.  Perkins. 

William  Walcott. 

1869.- 

—William  Dodge,  Jr. 

Nathaniel  Bodge. 

Simeon  Putnam. 

Moses  J.  Currier. 

Henry  A.  Perkins. 

Augustus  Fowler. 

1870.- 

—William  Dodge,  Jr. 

— William  Dodge,  Jr. 

Henry  A.  Perkins. 

Augustus  Fowler. 

Josiah  Ross. 

Charles  P.  Preston. 

1871.- 

—William  Dodge,  Jr. 

— Augustus  Fowler. 

Henry  A.  Perkins. 

Charles  P.  Preston. 

Josiah  Ross. 

William  Dodge,  Jr. 

1872.- 

—William  Dodge,  Jr. 

— Rufus  Putnam. 

Henry  A.   Perkins. 

Charles  P.  Preston. 

Joshua  Bragdon. 

Otis  Mudge. 

1873.- 

—Henry  A.  Perkins. 

— ^Eufus  Putnam. 

Joshua   Bragdon. 

Charles  P.  Preston. 

Samuel  W.  Spaulding. 

William  Dodge,  Jr. 

1874.- 

—Joshua  Bragdon. 

. — Rufus  Putnam. 

Henry  A.  Perkins. 

Charles  P.  Preston. 

Otis  F.  Putnam. 

James  M.  Perry. 

1875.- 

—Henry  A.  Perkins. 

. — Francis  Dodge. 

Joshua  Bragdon. 

William  Dodge,  Jr. 

Otis  F.  Putnam. 

Charles  Chaplin. 

1876.- 

—Henry  A.  Perkins. 

. — William  Dodge,  Jr. 

Joshua  Bragdon. 

Charles  Chaplin. 

Otis  F.  Putnam. 

Augustus   Fowler. 

1877.- 

—Henry  A.  Perkins. 

. — James  M.  Perry. 

Joshua  Bragdon. 

Jacob  F.  Perry. 

Otis  F.  Putnam. 

257 


258 


CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 


1878.— Charles  H.  Adams. 

Otis  F.  Putnam. 

Josiah  Eoss. 
1879. — Henry  A.  Perkins. 

Josiah  Eoss. 

Harrison  0.  Warren. 
1880. — Henry  A.  Perkins. 

Harrison  0.  Warren. 

Daniel  P.  Pope. 
1881. — Henry  A.  Perkins. 

Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Josiah  Eoss. 
1882.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Otis  F.  Putnam. 

Joshua  Bragdon. 
1883.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Otis  F.  Putnam, 

Joshua  Bragdon. 
1884.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Joshua  Bragdon. 

Otis  F.  Putnam. 
1885.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Joshua  Bragdon. 

Otis  F.  Putnam. 
1886.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Joshua  Bragdon. 

Otis  F.  Putnam. 
1887.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Joshua  Bragdon, 

Otis  F.  Putnam. 
1888.— Otis  F.  Putnam. 

Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Joseph  W.  Woodman, 
1889,— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Joseph  W.  Woodman. 

Otis  F.  Putnam, 
1890.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Chauncey  S.  Eichards. 

Otis  F.  Putnam. 
1891.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Chauncey  S.  Eichards. 

Jacob  Marston. 

Otis  F.  Putnam, 


1892.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Otis  F.  Putnam. 

Jacob  Marston. 
1893,— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Eoswell  D.  Bates. 

Charles  N.  Perley. 
1894.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Charles  H.  Preston. 

Frank  C.  Damon. 
1895.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Albert  A.  Bates. 

George  W.  Baker. 
1896.— Daniel  P.  Pope, 

Ceorge  W,  Baker. 

Albert  A.  Bates. 
1897.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Albert  A.  Bates. 

George  W.  Baker. 
1898.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Albert  A.  Bates. 

George  W.  Baker. 
1899.— Daniel  P,  Pope. 

George  W,  Baker. 

Walter  T,  Creese, 
1900,— Daniel  P,  Pope. 

Albert  A.  Bates. 

Eoswell  D.  Bates. 
1901.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Eoswell  D.  Bates. 

Albert  A.  Bates. 
1902.— Daniel  P,  Pope. 

Eoswell  D.  Bates. 

Charles  N.  Perley. 
1903.— Daniel  P.  Pope, 

Eoswell  D,  Bates. 

John  T.  Carroll. 
1904.— Daniel  P,  Pope. 

Charles  IST.  Perley. 

John  T.  Carroll." 
1905.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Charles  H.  Preston. 

John  T.  Carroll. 


CIVIL  HISTORY 


259 


190G.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

John  T.  Carroll. 

Charles  H.  Preston. 
1907.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Charles  H.  Preston. 

David  S.  Brown. 
1908.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Charles  H.  Preston. 

J.  Ellis  ISTightingale. 
1909.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

Charles  H.  Preston. 

J.  Ellis  Nightingale. 
1910.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

J.  Ellis  Nightingale. 

Alvah  J.  Bradstreet. 
1911.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

J.  Ellis  Nightingale. 

Andrew  H.  Paton. 
1912.— Daniel  P.  Pope. 

James  0.  Perry. 

Poland  G-.  Eaton. 
1913.— David  S.  Brown. 

J.  Ellis  Nightingale. 

Poland  G.  Eaton. 
1914.— David  S.  Brown. 

J.  Ellis  Nightingale. 


Roland  G.  Eaton. 
1915.— David  S.  Brown, 

J.  Ellis  Nightingale. 

Roland  G.  Eaton. 
1916.— David  S.  Brown. 

J.  Ellis  Nightingale. 

Roland  C  Eaton. 
1917.— David  S.  Brown. 

W.  Arthur  Donnell. 

J.  Anderson  Lord. 
1918.— David  S.  Brown. 

Raymond  U.  Lynch. 

J.  Ellis  Nightingale. 
1919.— David   S.    Brown. 

J.  Ellis  Nightingale. 

W.  Arthur  Webb. 
1920.— David  S.  Brown. 

W.  Arthur  Webb. 

J.  Ellis  Nightingale. 
1921.— David  S.  Brown. 

W.  Arthur  Webb. 

J.  Ellis  Nightingale. 
1922.— W.  Arthur  Webb. 

Harold  D.  Stone. 

Albert  F.  Learoyd. 


SENATORS. 

Samuel  Holten,  1784,  '86,  '89-92,  Robert  S.  Daniels,  1851. 

'95,  '96. 
Samuel  Putnam,  1813-14. 
Rufus  Choate,  1829. 
Elias  Putnam,  1831-32. 
Jonathan  Shove,  1834-36. 
Daniel  P.  King,  1839-41. 
Henry  Poor,  1846. 
George  Osborn. 


Alfred  A.  Abbott,  1853. 
James  D.  Black,  1855. 
Israel  W.  Andrews,  1863-64. 
Augustus  Mudge,  1882. 
Samuel  L.  Sawyer,  1893-94. 
J.  Frank  Porter,  1901-03. 
A.  Preston  Chase,  1913-14. 
Walter  T.  Creese,  1923. 


REPRESENTATIVES. 


Daniel  Epes,  Jr.,  1754-57,  '65,  '67. 
Daniel  Gardner,  1759. 
Thomas  Porter,  1760-63,  '65. 


260  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVEES 

John  Preston,  1764. 

Samuel  Holten,  Jr.,  1768-73,  '75,  '80,  '87. 

WiUiam  Shillaber,  1775. 

Samuel  Epes,  1776. 

Jeremiah  Hutchinson,  1777-83,  '85-88. 

Gideon  Putnam,  1784. 

Col.  Israel  Hutchmson,  1789,  '91-95,  '97,  '98. 

Caleb  Low,  1790. 

Gideon  Foster,  1796,  '99,  1800-02. 

1804. — Gideon  Foster,  Capt.  Samuel  Page,  Dr.  Nathan  Bead. 

1805. — Gideon  Foster,  Samuel  Page,  Nathan  Felton. 

1806. — Gideon  Foster,  Samuel  Page,  Nathan  Felton. 

1807.— Nathan  Felton. 

1808. — Samuel  Page,  Nathan  Felton,  Squiers  Shove. 

1809. — Samuel  Page,  Nathan  Felton,  Squiers  Shove. 

1810. — Samuel  Page,  Nathan  Felton,  Dennison  Wallis. 

1811. — Samuel  Page,  Nathan  Felton,  Dennison  Wallis,  Daniel 
Putnam. 

1812. — Samuel  Page,  Nathan  Felton,  Dennison  Wallis,  James 
Foster. 

1813. — Samuel  Page,  Nathan  Felton,  Dennison  Wallis,  James 
Foster. 

1814. — Samuel  Page,  Nathan  Felton,  Sylvester  Osborn,  Heze- 
kiah  Flint. 

1815. — Nathan  Felton,  Sylvester  Osborn,  Hezekiah  Flint,  Wil- 
liam P.  Page. 

1816. — Nathan  Felton,  William  P.  Page,  Frederick  Howes,  John 
Swinnerton,  Jr. 

1817. — Daniel  Putnam,  Sylvester  Osborn,  Frederick  Howes, 
Thomas  Putnam. 

1818, — Frederick  Howes. 

1819. — Nathan  Felton,  Dennison  Wallis,  Daniel  Putnam,  Thomas 
Putnam. 

1820-21.— Nathan  Felton. 

1822.— William  Sutton. 

1823. — Ebenezer  Shillaber,  John  Page,  Nathan  Poor,  Nathaniel 
Putnam. 

1824.— Nathan  Poor. 

1825. — John  Page,  John  Endicott. 

1826. — Jonathan  Shove,  Rufus  Choate. 

1827. — Rufus  Choate,  Jonathan  Shove. 

1828. — Jonathan  Shove,  Nathan  Poor,  Robert  S.  Daniels. 

1829. — Jonathan  Shove,  Elias  Putnam. 


CIVIL  HISTORY  261 

1830. — Elias  Putnam,  Jonathan  Shove,  Eobert  S.  Daniels, 
Nathan  Poor. 

1831  (May). — Nathan  Poor,  John  Page,  William  Sutton,  John 
Preston. 

1831  (November). — John  Page,  John  Preston,  Nathan  Poor, 
Jonathan  Shove. 

1832. — John  Preston,  John  Page,  Ebenezer  Shillaber,  Jonathan 
Shove. 

1833. — Jonathan  Shove,  Henry  Cook,  John  Preston,  John  Page. 

1834. — John  Preston,  Henry  Cook,  Andrew  Lunt,  Eben  Putnam, 
Jacob  F.  Perry. 

1835. — Jacob  F.  Perry,  Andrew  Lunt,  Daniel  P.  King,  Allen 
Putnam,  Joshua  H.  Ward. 

1836. — Joshua  H.  Ward,  Jacob  F.  Perry,  Andrew  Lunt,  Caleb 
L.  Frost. 

1837. — Caleb  L.  Frost,  Eben  Putnam,  Samuel  P.  Fowler,  Lewis 
Allen. 

1838. — Lewis  Allen,  Samuel  P.  Fowler,  Henry  Poor,  Abel 
Nichols. 

1839. — Joshua  H.  Ward,  Henry  Poor,  Samuel  P.  Fowler,  Allen 
Putnam. 

1840.— Allen  Putnam,  Fitch  Poole. 

1841. — ^Fitch  Poole,  Samuel  Preston. 

1842. — Daniel  P.  King,  Samuel  Preston. 

1843. — Frederick  Morrill,  Joshua  Silvester. 

1844. — Eichard  Osborn,  Henry  Fowler. 

1845. — Henry  Fowler,  Eichard  Osborn. 

1846.— Henry  Fowler,  Elijah  W.  Upton. 

1847.— Elijah  W.  Tipton,  Joshua  Silvester. 

1848.— William  Walcott,  William  Dodge. 

1849.— A.  A.  Abbott,  John  Hines. 

1850. — William  Walcott,  Otis  Mudge,  Henry  A.  Hary. 

1851. — John  Hines,  Philemon  Putnam,  Alfred  A.  Abbott. 

1852.— William  Walcott. 

1853. — David  Daniels,  Philemon  Putnam,  James  P.  King. 

1854. — Joseph  Jacobs,  Francis  Dodge,  Israel  W.  Andrews. 

1855. — Israel  W.  Andrews,  Eben  S.  Poor,  Alonzo  P.  Phillips. 

1856. — Arthur  A.  Putnam,  Israel  W.  Andrews,  Eichard  Smith. 

1857-58.— Francis  P.  Putnam. 

1859.— Arthur  A.  Putnam. 

I860.— George  Tapley. 

1861-62.— James  W.  Putnam. 

1863-64.— Charles  P.  Preston. 


262  CHRONICLES  OF  DANVERS 

1865-66.— Simeon  Putnam. 
1867-68.— Edwin  Mudge. 
1870-71.— George  H.  Peabody. 
1872-73.— George  J.  Sanger. 
1875-76.— Charles  B.  Rice. 
1877.— Israel  W.  Andrews. 
1878.— Charles  B.  Rice. 
1880-81.— Gilbert  A.  Tapley. 
1882.— Alonzo  J.  Stetson. 
1883.— Andrew  H.  Paton. 
1885-86.— Malcolm  Sillars. 
1891-92.— Samuel  L.  Sawyer. 
1894-95.— J.  Frank  Porter. 
1896-97.— Joseph  W.  Woodman. 
1898-99.— Addison  P.  Learoyd. 
1901-02.— Charles  H.  Preston. 
1903.— Thomas  E.  Dougherty. 
1906.— Nathan  H.  Poor. 
1907.— Melvin  B.  Putnam. 
1909-10.— Arthur  Preston  Chase. 
1913-14.— Alvah  J.  Bradstreet. 
1917-18.— George  D.  Morse. 
1920-21.— Walter  T.  Creese. 


ADDITIONS   AND  CORRECTIONS. 


Page  5,  Hue  1,  read  Francis  instead  of  Richard  Weston. 

Page  36.  Since  the  foregoing  pages  were  printed,  the  Browne 
portraits  have  been  purchased  and  presented  to  a  Baltimore  mu- 
seum. 

Page  43.  Sir  Danvers  Osborn  was  born  at  the  family  seat  of 
Chicksands  Priory,  Shefford,  County  of  Bedford,  on  Nov.  17,  1715, 
and  was  thus  in  the  thirty-eighth  year  of  his  age  when  he  took 
charge  of  the  Government  of  New  York.  Plunged  into  incon- 
solable grief  at  the  death  of  his  wife,  this  office  was  secured  for 
him  in  the  hope  that  entire  change  of  scene,  as  well  as  enforced 
activity,  would  be  beneficial.  He  arrived  in  New  York  on  Oct.  6, 
1753,  and  soon  after  the  inaugural  ceremonies,  Oct.  12,  which  were 
attended  with  much  pomp  and  dignity,  he  committed  suicide  in 
the  garden  of  a  member  of  the  Council.  Sir  Danvers  had  previ- 
ously spent  some  time  in  Canada  with  his  brother-in-law,  the  Earl 
of  Halifax.  It  is  said  that  he  was  very  popular,  and  his  untimely 
death  was  greatly  lamented.  His  private  secretary  was  Thomas 
Pownall,  who,  four  years  later,  received  a  commission  as  Governor 
of  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  The  remains  of  the  un- 
fortunate Governor  were  conveyed  across  the  Atlantic  and  buried 
in  the  churchyard  of  his  native  parish.  He  left  two  children,  and 
the  title  has  descended  to  his  great-great-great  grandson,  Sir  Alger- 
non Kerr  Butler  Osborn  (born  1870),  who  occupies  the  old  family 
seat  of  Chicksands  Priory. 

Page  55.  Under  "Incorporation  of  Danvers,"  add  that  the 
Council  concurred  on  June  9,  and  the  act  was  published  on 
June  16. 

Page  64.  Add  to  note,  Samuel  Porter,  a  noted  lawyer,  born  in 
the  Putnam-Dodge-Sears  house  in  Putnamville,  in  1743,  was  also 
a  Tory,  and  died  in  London  in  1798. 

Page  175.  Joshua  Silvester  died  July  29,  instead  of  July  9, 
1887. 


(263) 


INDEX 


Abbey,  Thomas,  19,  20. 
Abbott,  Alfred  A.,  170,  259,  261. 

Charles  F.,  161. 

George,  opp.  110. 

H.  D.,  247. 
Abolition,  147-1-51. 
Adams,  Charles  Francis,  169. 

Charles  H.,  258. 

Fred,  242. 

H.  C,  18, 

John,  8,  opp.  55,  101. 

John  Quincy,  8,  67,  97,  102. 

L.  W.,  191. 

Samuel,  97. 
Agan,  Patrick,  145. 
Aiken,  Hector  A.,  189. 
Alarm  companies,  110. 
Alford,  William,  9. 
Allen,  Albert  G.,  123,  183,  208. 

Henry  F.,  189. 

John,  opp.  29. 

Lewis,  opp.  105,  156,  249,  255-257, 
261. 
Allen  farm,  238. 
Alley,  William,  1-34,  149. 
Alliance  (frigate),  86. 
Amity  Lodge,  111. 
Amory,  William,  170. 
Anchor  factory,  98. 

Andrew, ,  12,  83. 

Andrews,  Ginger,  45. 

Israel  W.,   35,   67,    171,   247,  249, 
2.50,  259,  261,  262. 

John,  45. 

John  D.,  149. 

Joseph,  35. 

Winthrop,  140,  149. 
Andros,  Edmund,  22. 
Annunciation  Cemetery,  178. 
Anstis  (negro),  62. 
Antwerp,  Belgium,  43. 
Appleton,  Samuel,  19. 
Armitage,  A.  T.,  208, 

Joshua,  128. 
Armory,  202. 
Arnold,  Benedict,  8,  67,  76. 


Arnold's  march  to  Quebec,  8,  9. 
Arthur,  Prince,  171,  173. 
Artillery,  110. 
Aspinwall,  Thomas,  169. 
Australian  ballot,  203. 
Avery,  J.  Humphrey,  92. 
Ayres,  W.  M.,  191. 

Baker,  Francis,  162,  177,  250. 

George  W.,  258. 
Balch,  Anna,  242. 

Benjamin,  85,  86,  111. 

Joseph.  21. 

Lewis  P.  W..  242. 

Mary,  86. 

William,  86. 
Baldwin,  F.  W.,  247. 

Ballou, ,  120. 

Bancroft,  Jonathan,  52. 
Bank  Hall,  179. 
Banks,  127,  128. 
Baptist  Church,  91,  120,  148. 
Barker,  Lemuel,  opp.  110. 
Barnaby,  James,  91. 
Barnes,  Merritt  H.,  211. 
Barney,  Jacob,  10,  16. 
Barrett,  Jonathan,  opp.  110. 
Barry,  James,  86. 

Michael,  opp.  105, 
Barstow,  Gideon,  236,  238. 
Bartlett,  Sidney,  70. 
Batchelder,  Albert  W.,  161. 

H.  F.,  246. 

Joseph,  opp.  105. 
Bates,  Albert  A.,  258. 

Roswell  D.,  258. 
"Battle  of  Bunker  Hill,"    painting 

of,  76. 
Battle  of  Lexington,  9,  70-73,  114. 
Battye,  James,  189. 
Bayley, ,  17,  18. 

Thomas,  21. 
Bean,  Norris  S.,  134. 
Beche-de-Mer,  116. 
Beckford,  Mrs.  A.  W.,  210. 

Edwin,  189. 


(265) 


266 


INDEX 


Beebe,  James  M.,  170. 
Beekman,  Garrett.  191. 
Belcher,  L.  &  W.  S.,  VA2. 
Bell,  Alexander  Graham,  193. 

Mrs.  G.  P.,  210. 

Thomas,  19. 
Bell  Tavern,  88, 
Belvidere  Hall,  160. 
Benjamin,  Charles,  150. 

Benson, ,  223. 

Bentley, ,  103. 

Berry, ,  154. 

Eben  G.,  55,  149,  198. 

Ebenezer,  55,  opp.  110. 
Berry,  see  Barry. 
Berry   Tavern,   45,  47,  55,  111,  opp. 

125,  201. 
Betsey  (sch.),  115. 
Beverly  annexed,  portion  of,  179. 
Bigelow,  George  T.,  169. 

Jacob,  169. 
"Birchwood,"  5. 
Bishop,  Bridget,  opp.  24,  30. 

John,  21. 

Townsend,  9,  27,  opp.  29. 
Black, ,  241. 

Archelaus  P.,  149. 

James  D.,  149,  168,  249,  259. 

Joseph  S.,  123,  158,  162. 

Moses,  113,  opp.  115,  132, 149,  249, 
25G. 

William,  132,  256. 
Blake,  J.  Albert,  124. 
Blanchard,  Webster,  212. 
Bloody  Brook,  20. 
Boardman, ,  132. 

Israel  P.,  123. 

N.  Holten,  123. 

:N'athaniel,  123. 
Boardman  &  Gould,  132. 
Bodge,  G.  M.,  19. 

Nathaniel,  257. 
Bodwell,  C.  S.,  18. 

Isaac,  189. 
Booth,  Elizabeth,  23. 
Borland,  Francis,  33. 
"Boston,"  frigate,  86. 
Boswell,  James  A.,  91. 
Boundaries,  1. 
Boutelle,  H.  C,  247. 
Bovpditch,  Nathaniel,  115. 
Bowen,  Thomas  M.,  134,  149. 
Bracamontes,  John,  211. 
Brackett,  Josiah,  132. 
Bradlee, ,  241. 

Francis  B.  C,  98,  158. 


Bradstreet,  Alvah  J.,  259,  262. 

Dudley,  opp.  16. 
Bragdon,  Joshua,  257,  258. 
Braman,  ,  137,  168. 

Milton  P.,  18,  139,  166,  168,  171. 
Brand,  James,  146. 
Brenan,  Edward  H.,  190. 
Brick  School,  112. 
Brick  manufacturing,  126,  127. 
Bridges,  John  H.,  189. 
Briggs,  Jeremiah,  236,  238. 
Brigham,  Lincoln  F.,  170. 
Brimblecom,  Samuel,  120,  149. 
British  soldiers'  graves,  66. 
British  troops  in  Danvers,  65-67. 
BrovFU,  Browne,  David  S.,  259. 

Edward,  opp.  105. 

James,  254. 

John,  253. 

Louis,  55. 

Oliver  O.,  150. 

Parker,  117. 

Stephen,  117. 

Sylvester,  189. 

William,  36,  37,  39,  45,  239,  263. 

William  B.,  239. 

William  Burnet,  39. 
Browne's  Folly,  36-41. 
Buck,  C.  L.,  247. 
Buckley,  Thomas,  21. 
Budgell,  Walter  J.,  208. 
Bulkley,  S.  C,  120. 

Andrew,  240. 

Hannah,  240. 

William,  33,  240. 
Burley  Farm,  10,239. 
Burley  Hill,  240. 
Burnet,  Mary,  37. 
Burr,  Aaron,  108. 
Burrington,  Howard  R.,  161. 
Burroughs, ,  30. 

George,  18,  30. 
Burrows,  James  H.,  189. 
Bush,  John,  246. 
Butler,  John  C,  123. 

O.  S.,  139. 

Peter,  170. 

Stephen,  19. 
Button,  Lewis,  189. 
Buttrick,  Eliza  K.,  199. 

Samuel  B.,  127. 
Buxton, ,  12. 

Daniel,  238. 

John,  35. 

Jonathan,  251,  252. 


INDEX 


267 


Cabot, ,  241. 

Edward,  241. 

Joseph  S.,  158. 
Callahan,  Abraham,  123. 
Calvary  Episcopal  Church,  179. 
Campbell,  Elizabeth,  210. 
Canright,  Elder,  191. 
Carey,  E.  J.,  248. 
Carleton,  Charles,  246, 

Loring,  124. 
Carmichael,  Ludwig,  211. 
Carpet  manufacturing,  135,  136,  140, 

141. 
Carr, ,  127. 

Edward  G.,  248. 

Katherine,  210. 
Carrier,  Martha,  30. 
Carroll, ,  61. 

John  T.,  258,  259. 

Marcus,  179. 

Nathaniel,  15. 
Carruthers,  William,  146. 
Cartmill,  Jonathan,  191. 
Case,  S„  132. 
Cashman,  M.  J.,  208. 

Cassell, ,  169. 

Cassidy,  William  M,,  191. 

Cate  (negro),  52,  61. 

Celebration,  150th  Anniversary,  204. 

Cemeteries,  143,  144. 

Centennial  celebration,  161. 

Central  fire  station,  112. 

Chaffin,  A.  W.,  92. 

Chamberlain,  Mellen,  216,  247. 

Champion,  Alexander,  238. 

Channell,  William  H.,  189. 

Chaplin,  Charles,  257. 

Jeremiah,  85,  91,  103,  124. 
Chase,   A.  Preston,    203,   248,   250, 
259,  262. 

Herbert  J.,  161. 

Preston  M.,  246. 

Robert  F.,  179. 
Cheever,  Aaron,  66. 

H.  C,  150. 

Samuel,  73. 

Thomas,  117. 

William,  117., 
Cherry  Hill,  9. 
Chickamauga,  Ga.,  204. 
Choate,  Rufus,  259,  260. 
Churchill,  Sarah,  23. 
Civil  War,  112,  179,  180. 
Claflin, ,  170. 

William,  169. 
Clancy,  G.  C,  134. 


Clapp,  Granville  W.,  124. 

W.  E.,  248. 
Clarissa  (sch.),  115. 
Clark,  Aaron  F.,  162,  256,  257. 

Caleb,  92. 

Peter,  18,  45,  57,  64,  opp.  75. 

Samuel,  opp.  75. 

William,  64,  246. 
Clark  house,  214. 
Clergymen,  246. 
Clerks  of  the  Town,  250. 
Clifford,  John  H.,  169. 
Clinton,  Iowa,  232. 
Clock,  electric,  202. 
Clough,  Ira  P.,  150. 

James,  35. 
Coard,  Francis,  20. 
Coffin,  Simeon,  189. 
Cogswell,  William,  242. 
Colcord,  J.  Herbert,  246. 
Cole,  Gideon,  92. 

Robert,  13. 
Cole  grant,  13, 
Collins, ,  103,  104. 

Judge,  235. 

Benajah,  103,  247. 

Deborah,  104,  236. 

Hepsebeth,  104,  236, 

Susanna,  235, 

Thomas,  189. 

Triphenia,  104. 
Collins  house,  103. 
Columbiana  (vessel),  131. 
Combo  (negro),  52,  61. 
Come-outers,  148. 

Company  K,  8th  Regt.,  201,  203,  204. 
Conamabsquenooncant  River,  5. 
Conant,  Roger,  2. 

Silas,  123. 

Connors, ,  132. 

Cook, ,  1.50. 

Benjamin,  opp.  110. 

Charles  A.,  208. 

Mrs.  Eleanor,  210. 

George  T.,  opp.  105. 

Henry,  261. 

Henry  W.,  208. 

Samuel,  71. 
Corey,  Giles,  16,  26,  30. 

Martha,  26,  30. 
Corning,  Phineas,  123. 
Corwin,  George,  opp.  24. 

Jonathan,  8,  25. 
Cotta,  Robert,  233. 
Cotton,  Edward  H.,  120,  190. 


268 


INDEX 


Couch,  Fred,  194. 

Lester  S.,  144. 

Parley,  194. 
Country  stores,  122,  124-126,  141. 
Cowhouse  River,  5. 
Craddock,  Matthew,  3. 
Crane,  Lawrence,  211. 
Crane  River,  9,  43,  44,  46. 
Crane  River  bridge,  46. 
Creese, ,  150. 

Mrs.  W.  H.,  206,  209. 

Walter  T.,  208,  258,  259,  262. 
Creese  &  Cook,  150. 
Crehore,  Marion  B.,  209. 
Croft,  William  H.,  189. 
Crosby,  Joseph,  124. 
Cross,  Jacob,  124,  131. 

Michael,  73. 

Moses  K.,  246. 

Peter,  254. 
Crowley,  Benjamin,  248. 

Daniel,  145. 

D.  K,  247,  250. 

Kate  R.,  197. 
Crowninshield,  Benjamin,  98. 

Jacob,  108. 

John,  opp.  121. 
Cudjo  (negro),  51. 
Cummings,  Cyrus,  opp.  105. 

David,  247. 

Samuel,  opp.  110. 
Currier,  Moses  J.,  124,  125,  257. 

W.  M.,  193. 
Currier's  shop,  89,  91. 
Cuthberton,  H.,  189. 
Cutler,  John,  149. 

Jonathan,  246. 

Daland,  Deland,  Benjamin,  71. 

Katherina,  34. 

Moses,  189. 
Dale,  Archelaus,  73,  249-251. 

Ebenezer,  246. 

William  C,  189. 
Daley,  John,  246. 
Damon, ,  140. 

Frank  C,  134,  202,  250,  258. 
Dana,  Richard  H.,  242. 

Samuel  T.,  170. 
Danforth,  Mrs.  Helen,  210. 
Daniels,  David,  156,  261. 

Robert  S.,  156,  162,  166,    177,  249, 
250,  255,  259-261. 
Danvers,  Eleanor,  43. 
Danvers,  origin  of  name  of,  42. 
Danvers,  111.,  42. 


Danvers,  Montana,  42. 

Danvers  Carpet  Co.,  141. 

Danvers  Centennial,  161. 

Danvers  Co-operative  Bank,  128. 

Danvers  Courier,  151. 

Danvers  Eagle,  151. 

Danvers  Herald,  151. 

Danvers  Historical  Society,  84,  198. 

Danvers  Home  for  the  Aged,  205. 

Danvers  Hotel,  193, 

Danvers  Ice  Co.,  153. 

Danvers  Improvement  Society,  197. 

Danvers  Incorporated,  42,  54,  263. 

Danvers  Iron  Works,  98,  234. 

Danvers   Light  Infantry,    112,  180, 
181,  183,  201. 

Danvers  Mirror,  151. 

Danvers  Monitor,  151. 

Danvers  Moral  Society,  111. 

Danvers  National  Bank,  127. 

Danvers  Plains,  13,  122-135. 

Danvers  Railroad  Co.,  158. 

Danvers  River,  5. 

Danvers  Savings  Bank,  128. 

Danvers  State  Hospital,  192. 

Danvers  Social  Library,  102. 

Danvers  Whig,  151. 

Danvers  Women's  Association,  197. 

Danversport,  9,  42-49,    113-119,  143, 
157. 

Danvers    Visiting    Nurse    Associa- 
tion, 206. 

Danvers  Volunteer  Aid  Assoc,  204. 

Darling,  John,  opp.  65. 
Jonathan,  35. 

Davenport, ,  19. 

Richard,  10. 

Davis,  A.  A.,  120. 

Day, ,  127. 

Dearborn,  Henry,  8. 

Deering,  C.  H.,  247. 

Dehly,  Gerhardt,  120. 

Deliverance  (negro),  52,  61. 

DeLong,  H.  C,  120. 

Demsey,  Alden,  123. 

Dennison, ,  14. 

De  Normandie,  Eugene,  190. 

Derby,  Elias  Haskett,  103,  244. 
Richard,  37,  39,  240. 

Dickinson,  E.  W.,  91. 

Dickson,  Thomas,  238. 

Dill  (negro),  52,  61,  62. 

Dillingham,  F.  A.,  120. 

Dinah  (negro),  52, 

District  school  system,  105. 

Division  of  Danvers,  176,  177. 


INDEX 


269 


Dodge,  Charles  W.,  189. 

Francis,   177,    opp.  1S4,   187,  256, 
257,  261. 

Granville  M.,  opp.  185,  186,  190. 

John,  20. 

Josiah,  21. 

Mary  W.,  opp.  12. 

Rebecca,  187. 

Uzziel,  opp.  110. 

William,  20,  177,  256,  257,  261. 

William  B.,  opp.  105. 
Dolphin  (sch.),  115. 
Donnell,  W.  Arthur,  2C8,  259. 
Dougherty,  Thomas  E.,  262. 
Douty,  Jacob,  opp.  105. 
Downing, ,  141. 

Emanuel,  13,  opp.  16. 

George,  13. 
Downing  grant,  13. 
Drapeau,  Arthur,  210,  211. 
Drapeau-MacPhetres  Post,  212. 
Drinkwater,  Arthur,  91. 
Driver,  Stephen,  231. 
Drury,  Lucien,  92. 
Dudley,  G.  W.,  134. 

Dwinnell, ,  178. 

Dwinell,  George  H.,  189. 

Eagle  Carpet  Co.,  141. 
Earl,  George  W.,  159. 
Earthen  ware,  126. 
Earthquake,  37. 
Eastern  Railroad  Co.,  155,  158. 
Eastman,  Bishop,  179. 
Easty,  Mary,  30. 
Eaton,  Charles  F.,  236. 

E.  Everett,  123. 

George  N.,  170. 

Joseph  W.,  92. 

Roland  G.,  259. 

W.  W.,  143,  198,  246. 
Electric  lighting,  203. 
Eliza  (sch.),  115,  116. 
Elliott, ,  117. 

Charles  L.,  124. 

George  A.,  189. 
Ellis,  Reuben,  189. 
Elmere,  Magdalene  D.,  151. 
Elwell,  Andrew,  194. 
Emerson,  Daniel,  134,  256. 

George  W,,  217. 

Mrs.  S.  Mabel,  201,  217. 
Endecott  pear  tree,  6. 
Endecott  Tavern,  101. 


Endicott,  Endecott, ,5,  6,  9,  11, 

13,  27,  144,  157,  241. 

Charles  M.,  6. 

Elias,  123. 

Israel,  117. 

John,  1,  2,  opp,  29,    opp.  32,  117, 
235,  245,  260. 

Lewis,  117. 

Moses,  117. 

Samuel,  101,  117,  237,  245,  246. 

William,  116,   opp.  121,    149,  249, 
256,  257. 

William  C,  5,  6,  170,  242,  243,  245, 
247. 
Eppes,  Eps,  —     ,  69. 

Daniel,  41,  43,  51,  249-251,  259. 

John,  251,  252. 

Samuel,  68,  70,  86,  252,  260. 
Essex  (frigate),  98.    , 
Essex  bridge,  46. 
Essex  bridge  controversy,  95-97. 
Essex  County  Agricultural  School, 

206. 
Essex  Institute,  128. 
Essex  Railroad  Co.,  158. 
Evans,  Kenneth  E.,  190. 

S.  J.,  179. 

William  S.,  189, 
Eveleth,  Jonathan,  150. 
Ewell,  George  A.,  189. 
Ewing,  Addison  A.,  246. 

Charles  E.,  246. 

E.  C,  146. 

George  H.,  246. 

Fairfield, ,  117. 

Samuel,  111. 

William,  opp.  121. 
Fairweather,  Thomas,  239. 
Faneuil  Hall  Convention,  56. 
Farley,  Elizabeth,  240. 

Michael,  240. 

Susanna,  240. 
Farmer,  E.  A.,  212. 
Farrar,  J.  E.,  123. 
Farwell,  C.  C,  123. 
Fellows, ,  132. 

Alfred,  123,  150. 
Felton, ,  12. 

Daniel,  opp.  105. 

J.  S.,  opp.  110. 

John,  238. 

Malachi,  41,  249. 

Nathan,  250,  253-255,  260. 
Fennessey,  R.  T.,  134. 
Ferguson,  George,  212. 
Fires,  151. 


270 


INDEX 


First  Church,  17,  18,  21,  22,  30,  31. 

Fire  department,  105, 

First  Mass.  Heavy  Artillery,  182. 

Fish,  Nathaniel  P.,  189. 

Fiske,  George  W.,  33,  144. 

Fisk,  N.  B.,  191. 

Five  Sisters  (sch.),  11.5. 

Fletcher,  .James,  146,  160. 

Flint, ,  12. 

Eben  S.,  214. 

Elijah,  253,  2.54. 

Hezekiah,  260. 

Mrs.  H.  M.,  210. 

Samuel,  41,  43,  68,  70,  86,  249-252. 

Thomas,  16,  19,  31,  251. 

W.  E.,  247. 

William,  133. 
•'Flower  of  Essex,"  20. 
Folger,  Abiah,  99. 

Bethseda,  99. 

Peter,  99. 
Folkersamb,  John  F.,  246. 
Folly  Hill,  36-41. 
Forbes,  H.  P.,  120. 
Fort  at  Waters  River,  110. 
Forty-niners,  159. 
Foss,  LevFis,  194. 
Foster,  Benjamin,  91. 

Elliott,  246. 

Gideon,  70,  79,   80,    133,  250,  252, 
253,  260. 

James,  260. 

Samuel,  35. 
Fountain,  200. 
Fourteenth  Infantry,  182. 
Fow^le,  Samuel,  121. 
Fowler, ,  opp.  48,  88. 

Augustus,  257. 

E.  O.,  246. 

Emily,  opp.  199,  206. 

Harriet,  146. 

Henry,  116,  opp.  121, 177,  256,  261. 

John,  opp.  110,  J27,  254. 

John  P.,  opp.  105. 

Samuel,  jr.,  117. 

Samuel  P.,  opp.  105,  113,  143, 141, 
150,  162,  169,  171,  246,  256,    266. 

Sara,  opp.  114. 
Fox  Hill,  44. 
Francis,  William,  149. 
Franklin,  Benjamin,  99. 

John,  165. 

Joseph,  99. 
Franklin  Hall,  178. 
Freemasonry,  102,110,  111. 


French,  Fred  U.,  124,  202. 

George  W.,  124,  134. 

Mary,  37. 

Philip,  37. 
French  and   Indian  War,    Danvers 

Men  in,  31,  32,  49. 
French  neutrals,  50. 
Frost,  Caleb  L.,132,  261. 

George  W.,  opp.  105. 

John,  opp.  110. 
Frostfish  River,  10,  13. 
Fuller, ,  112. 

Benjamin  M.,  189. 

Daniel,  134. 

Nehemiah,  113. 

Nehemiah  P.,  ISO,  183. 

Thomas,  16. 
Fulton, ,  97. 

Robert,  97. 

Gaffney,  James  J.,  208,  248. 
Gage.Thomas,  8,  63,  66,  opp.  68,  84, 

101,  235. 
Gallivan, ,  127. 

T.  J.,  134. 
Gallows  hill,  27,  28. 
"The  Gambrel  Roof,"  61. 
Gardner,  Daniel,  43,  251,  259. 

Joseph,  19,  251. 

Samuel,  252,  253. 

Thomas,  10. 
Gas,  203. 
Gavet,  L.  F.,  231. 
Geer,  C.  M.,  18. 
Gen.  Israel  Putnam  Chapter,  D.  A. 

R.,  57,  77,  200. 
•'General  Putnam"  (engine),  106. 
Georgetown  and  Danvers  Railroad, 

156,  158. 
Getchell,  Ephraim,  189. 
Gibbs,  Susan  H.,247. 
Giddings,  Solomon,  117. 
Gifford, ,  219. 

William  F.,  189. 
Gillette,  S.  E.,  208. 
Gingill,  John,  16. 
Glide  (ship),  116. 
Gold  fever,  159. 
Goldsmith,  VV.  B.,  247. 
Goldthwait,  Eben,  71. 
Good,  Sarah,  25,  30. 
Goodale,  Goodell, ,  12,  144. 

A.  C,  247. 

Asa,  135. 

Ebenezer,  251,  252. 

Isaac,  15. 


INDEX 


271 


Goodale,  James,  123,  135. 

Joshua,  117. 

Loring  B.,  208. 

Perley,  256. 

Robert,  10,  15,  16. 

Zachery, 15. 
Goodhue,  J.  A.,  92. 
Goodridge,  Benjamin,  132. 
Goodwin,  John,  189. 
Gorton,  Janet  L.,  209. 

W.  A.,  247. 

Mrs.  William  A.,  206. 

William  T.,  212. 
Gothic  Hall,  183,  193,  194. 
Gott,  Charles,  10,  239. 
Goudy,  C.  W.  C,  189. 
Gould, ,  132. 

Andrew,  opp.  110. 

Charles  H.,  123. 

Daniel  H.,  189. 

Ellen  M.,  201. 

Humphrey,  246. 

Mrs.  Lyman,  210. 
Gould's  Tavern,  106. 
Gove,  John  G.,  131. 
Grand  Army,  189. 
Grand  Banks,  115. 
Grand  Turk  (privateer),  88. 
Grant,  Eugene  M.,  120. 

Orville  B.,  160. 
Grants,  2,  5,  9. 
Gray, ,  127. 

Alonzo,  189. 

Francis  A.,  246. 

William,  169. 
Green,  Joseph,  18,  32,  34. 

Thomas,  91. 
Griffin,  A.  W.,  179. 
Griggs, ,  24,  34. 

William,  246. 
Grosvenor,  D.  A.,  246. 
Grout,  John,  154. 

Samuel  S.,  189. 
Grubaugh,  Leon  E.,  146. 

Hadley,  H.  L.,  247. 
Hadlock,  James,  16. 
Hale,  E.  P.,  246. 

John,  30. 

Susan  E.,  209. 
Hall,  Everson,  189. 

Ralph  Q.,211. 
Halley,  Patrick  J.,  178. 
Ham,  James  H.,  189. 
Hambleton,  W.  J.,  191. 
Hamilton, ,  108. 


Hancock,  John,  97. 
Hanson, ,  141. 

J.  W.,  120. 
Hardy,  Henry  A.,  261. 

Isaac, 139. 
Harlequin  (privateer),  88. 
Harriman,  Jesse  P.,  149. 
Harrington,  A.  H.,  247. 

Myron  O.,  160. 
Hart,  Henry  H.,  161. 
Hartman,  Thomas,  189. 
Harvey,  Mrs.  Grace,  209. 
Haskell, ,  117. 

D.  C,  131. 
Hathorne,  Anna,  opp.  16. 

Eunice,  150. 

John,  25. 

William,  10,  opp.  W,  19,  25. 
Hathorne  Hill,   10,  187,  192. 
Hawes,  Frank  M.,  161. 
Hawk  (sch.),  115. 
Hawkins,  C.  J.,  146. 
Hawthorne, ,  8. 

Nathaniel,  37, 
Hayes,  Rev.,  120,  190. 
Haynes,  William,  5. 
Hebbert,  Samuel,  19. 
Henderson,  David,  140. 
Henry,  Foster,  92. 
Herrick,  Benjamin  J.,  opp,  105. 

Israel,  19. 

Joseph,  20. 
Herring,  E.  A.,  92. 
Higgins,  Ralph  S.,  127. 
High  Street  Cemetery,  144. 
Hill,  E.  L.,  247. 

James,  189. 
Hiller,  Charles,  189. 
Hills,  Nathaniel,  160,  171. 
Hinds,  Ambrose,  189. 
Hines,  Ezra  D.,  13,  37,  205. 

John,  149,  261. 

Mary  E.,  135. 
Hobbs,  Spencer  S.,  204. 

Theodore,  131. 
Hodge,  Elias,  191. 
Hodson,  F.  A.,  120. 
Holbrook,  Charles  F.,  92. 
Holmes,  John  Haynes,  190. 

Oliver  Wendell,  24,  170,  190. 
Holroyd,  John,  91. 

Holten,  Houlton,   ,   56,    58,    59, 

101,  102,  104,  107,  144. 

Benjamin,  35,  59,  101. 

John,  opp.  33. 

Joseph,  opp.  8,  10,  15,  19. 


272 


INDEX 


Holten,  Samuel,  56,  57,  63,   73,  111, 

160,  200,  246-252,  259,  260. 
Holten  High   School,   159-161,   200, 

202. 
Holten  High  School  prizes,  162. 
Holten  house,  101,  200. 
Holten  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  111. 
Holten  Tavern,  101. 
Home  Guard,  209. 
Hood,  Elizabeth  F.,  197,  201. 

John,  149. 

Joseph  E.,  134,  250. 

Richard,  149. 

Wallace  P.,  208. 
Hook,  H.  William,  246. 

John,  opp.  65. 
Hooper,  Joseph,  65. 

Matthew,  98,  136,  168,  234. 

Polly,  234. 

Robert,  47,  64,  66,   103,  234,  235, 
239. 

Stephen,  65. 

Swett,  65. 
Hooper  house,  63-66,  101. 
Horgan,  Daniel  F.,  178. 
Home,  Abiel  A.,  189. 
Horswell,  Jennie,  219,  222. 

John,  218,  222. 
Horton,  N.  A.,  194. 
Houlton,  Me.,  36. 
House,  A.  v.,  18,  36. 
Houses,  Early,  7. 
Howard,  A.  Sumner,  171,  250. 

Jonathan,  opp.  110. 

Levi,  189. 

Lizzie  M.,  171. 

R.  H.,  191. 

Thomas,  19. 
Howe,  How,  Albert,  123. 

Elizabeth,  30. 

Frederick,  150,  193. 

George,  123. 

George  W.,  160. 

Isaac  B. ,  232. 

Joseph  W.,  247. 

Margaret,  206,  210,  232. 
Howes,  Elizabeth,  241. 

Frederick,  241,  247,  260. 

Lucy,  241. 
Hoyt,  Joseph,  opp.  105. 
Hubbard,  Elizabeth,  23. 
Huckins,  Austin,  124. 
Hudgell,  Robert  V.,  179. 
Hughes,  J.  F.,  248,  250. 
Humphrey,  John,  9. 
Hunt.  Ebenezer,  150,  246. 
Hurley,  James  J.,  189. 


Huse,  John,  132. 

Hussey,  J.  Frederick,  208,  210,  233. 

William  Penn,  205,  234. 

Hutchinson,  ,    12,    66,   72,    144, 

157. 

Ambrose,  opp.  17. 

Benjamin  F.,  257. 

E.  H.,  149. 

Eben,  123. 

Edward,  123. 

Elijah,  101. 

Elisha,  opp.  65. 

Israel,  70,  73,   81-83,   85,    96,  114, 
260, 

James,  123. 

Jeremiah,  260. 

John,  16. 

Joseph,  16,  17,  19. 

Richard,  10,  16,  opp.  17. 

Thomas,  37. 
Hyde,  J.  W.,  179. 

William  L.,  opp.  137. 

Ice  exported  to  England,  152. 
Ideal  Baby  Shoe  Co.,  202. 
Incorporation  as  a  District,  42. 
Incorporation  as  a  Town,  54,  263. 
Independent    Agricultural  School, 

206. 
Indians,  3,  5,  8,  10,  11,  19-21,  78. 
IngersoU, ,  34. 

Jonathan,  opp.  65,  243. 

Nathaniel,  15,  16,  18,  20,  31,  101. 

Richard,  5,  9. 
Inoculation,  90" 
Intemperance,  111. 
Ipswich  road,  8. 
Ireland,  25. 
Irish  settlers,  144. 

Jackson,  Andrew,  128. 

Eben,  214. 

Harry  E.,  128,  208,  247. 

O.  E.,  247. 

William  H.,  236. 
Jacobs, ,  131,  144. 

Benjamin,  opp.  110,  250,  255. 

Ebenezer,  51,  251. 

George,  29,  30. 

Henry,  71. 

Joseph,  261. 

Primus  (negro),  52. 

Warren  M.,  168. 
Jay,  John,  242. 

Jefferson, ,  8. 

Jeffs,  T.  C,  189. 


INDEX 


273 


Jenkins,  L.  W.,  190. 

Mrs.  L.  W.,  210. 

T.  O.,  248. 
Jeremiah  (sch.),  115. 
Jessup,  William  W.,  189. 
Johnson,  Daniel,  132. 

George,  117. 

Henry,  117. 

James  A.,  117. 

Thomas,  117. 

William,  opp.  105,  117. 
Jones,  John  Paul,  86. 

Reed,  123. 
Jordan,  Marcus  A.,  211. 
Jordan  Lodge,  110. 
Josselyn,  Hercules,  149. 

John,  73,  133. 
Jupiter  (privateer),  88. 

Kane, ,  165. 

Kain,  John,  145. 
Kate  (negro),  54. 

George,  149. 
Keene,  Joseph  W.,  161. 
Keith,  C.  A.,  124. 
Kelley,  Dennis  M.,  135. 

James,  149. 

James  W.,  189. 

Martin,  124. 
Kellum,  Lott,  16. 
Kennedy,  D.  B.,  178. 
Kenney,  G.  W.,  134,  183. 

Gertrude  S.,  134. 

Henry,  16,  19. 

Isadora  E.,  197. 

Thomas,  19. 

W.  J.  C,  117,  139. 
Kenniston,  Allen,  10. 
Kent, ,  88. 

Benjamin,  117. 

Irene,  149. 

Moses  A.,  189. 
Kemp,  E.  A.,  246. 
"Kernwood,"  241. 
Kettelle,  Emma  P.,  216. 

John,  73,  111,  253. 
Kimball,  Dean,  opp.  105. 

Edward  D.,  223. 

Mrs.  Maria  Grey,  197,  210. 

O.,  131. 
Kindergarten,  200. 
King,  Daniel  P.,  249,  255,  259,  261. 

Eben,  1G2,  177,  2.56. 

H.  B.,  191. 

James  P.,  261. 

Joseph,  21. 

Samuel,  43,  250-252. 


King  Philip's  War,  Danvers  men  in, 

19,  20. 
Kirby,  John  F.,  178. 
Kitchen,  Bethia,  33. 

Robert,  .33. 
Kline,  G.  M.,  247. 
Knapp, ,  141. 

W.  H.,  120. 
Knapp  &  Downing,  141. 
Knight,  Allen,  150. 

Charles,  19. 

Jonathan,  15,  16. 

Philip,  15,  16. 

Samuel,  131. 
Knowlton,  Raymond,  211. 

Thomas,  opp.  64. 
Knox, ,  77. 

Lane,  Ralph  W.,  211. 

Langley,  John  R.,  123,  131,  149,  168. 

Larcom,  Lucy.  61,  opp.  68. 

Lawford,  W.  F.,  191. 

Lawrence,  Abel,  218. 

Caroline,  217,  218. 

Charles,  217,  218,  222. 
Lawsou,  Deodat,  18. 
Lawyers,  247,  263. 
Leach,  Leech,  Alice  P.,  209. 

John,  10,  16. 

Mrs.  Osborne,  210. 

Richard,  10,  16. 

Robert,  19,  20. 

Samuel,  239. 

Timothy,  253. 
Learovd,  Addison  P.,  250,  262. 

Albert  F.,  2.59. 

Charles  B.,  246. 

Charles  H.,  246. 

John  A.,  91,  131,  146,  150. 

John  S.,  206. 
Leather,  14,  89,  90. 
Leather  introduced   into   England, 

129. 
Leather  manufacturers,  131,  132. 
Leavitt,  Alexander  A.,  150. 

Joseph,  189. 
Lee,  John,  88. 
Leech's  Tavern,  101. 
Lefiflan,  Samuel  A.,  189. 
Legro,  Edmund,  123. 

Joseph  W.,  149. 
Leslie, ,  69. 

Thurman,  208. 
Lewis,  Mercy,  23. 

Phebe,  51. 
Lexington  Monument,  133. 
Liberty  bridge,  97. 


274 


INDEX 


Libraries,  102,  103,  168-171. 

Lincoln  Hall,  191. 

Lindall,  Timothy,  32,  33, 

Lindall  Hill,  32,  91,  240. 

"The   Lindens,"    64,    103-105,    170, 

235. 
Little,  Elbridge,  150. 

Harry  E.,  211. 
Livermore,  D.  P.,  120. 

L.  J.,  190. 
Liverpool,  153. 
Liverpool,  N.  S.,  103,  104. 
Locust  Lawn,  223. 
Log  cabin,  138. 
Logan,  John  A.,  134. 
Long,  Henry  F.,  158. 

Longfellow, ,  50, 

Lord,  J.  Anderson,  218,  259. 

Nathaniel  J.,  242. 

William,  234. 
Lothrop, ,  170. 

S.  K.,  170. 

Thomas,  20. 
Lowe,  Low,  Caleb,   70,  86,  253,  260. 

Mrs.  S.  F.,  210. 
Lowell,  James  E.,  189. 

John  Amory,  170. 
Lunt,  Andrew,  opp.  105,  256,  261. 

George,  170. 
Lynch,  Raymond  U.,  259. 

Timothy  J.,  208. 
Lyndsey,  Eleazer,  19. 
Lynn,  C.  B.,  120. 
Lynnfield,  181. 
Lyons,  Charles  H.,  189. 

Dennis,  248. 

P.  H.,  248. 

McAuliff,  Michael,  189. 
McCuUough,  G.  W.,  92. 
McDowell,  James,  246. 
McDonald,  J.  B.,  247. 
MacFadden,  Robert  A.,  146. 
McGuigan,  J.  J.,  246. 
Mclntire,  James  F.,  149, 

Samuel,  237,  244. 
McKeigue,  Edward,  178, 
Mackintire,  Abel,  251. 

Solomon,  opp.  110. 
Mclntire,  Ingalls  K.,  149. 
MacPetres,  Hadley,  211. 
Magee,  E.  H.,  247. 
Magill,  W.  P.,  179. 
Magnolia  (vessel),  186. 
Mains,  H.  L.,  247. 
Maley,  Francis,  178. 
Manassa,  Anna  E.,  134. 


Manchester,  Eng.,  131. 
Maple  Street  Church,  145,  146. 
Maple  Street  School,  112,  181. 
Maplewood,  206. 
Marble,  Daniel,  251. 
Margaret  (ship),  117. 
Marietta,  Ohio,  93-95. 
Mark,  George  A.,  120. 
Marsh,  Anna  P.,  247. 

Daniel,  172. 

Ezekiel,  52,  251. 

Jasper,  128,  208. 
Marshall,  John,  160. 

William,  131. 
Marston,  Jacob,  258. 
Martin,  George  B.,  124. 

Susanna,  30. 
Marston,  Annie  L.,  209. 
Mason,  Edward  D.,  161. 

Robert  M.,  170. 
Massachusetts  Temperance  Society, 

111. 
Massey,  Dudley  A.,  198. 
Master  mariners,  117. 
Masury,  Charles  H.,  183, 

Evelyn  F.,  197,  201. 
Matagorda  (vessel),  186, 
Mather,  Cotton,  2,  8,  26. 
Matthews,  Nathan,  179, 
May,  C.  S,,  247, 
Mead,  Abner  S.,  150, 

David,  134,  247, 

J.  W.,  134. 
Mead  &  Webb,  195. 
Meader,  Charles  E.,  189. 
Meeting  house,  first,  17,  31. 
Melcher,  Henry  M.,  168. 
Merriam,    Nathaniel   P.,    134,    141, 

195. 
Merrick,  F.  W.,  146. 
Merrill, ,  149, 

C,  A.,  191. 

C.  O.,  210. 

Henry  M.,  123. 

John,  189. 

Levi,  134. 

Samuel  A.,  234. 

Wingate.  opp.  105,  256. 
Merrow,  Edith  C,  209. 
Meteor,  The,  193. 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  191, 
Metzger,  William,  189, 
Mexican  War,  158. 
Middle  precinct,  32,  35,  36. 
Militia,  10,  18,  19,  68,  109,   112,  113. 
Mills,  44-46,  102,  118, 


INDEX 


275 


Mitchell,  Francis  L.,  163. 

Fred  C,  161. 

H.  W.,  247. 

John  C,  190. 

Maria,  100, 
Moderators,  249. 
Montague,  Lady  Mary,  43. 
Montgomery,  Edward  L.,  161. 
Moody,  Henry  L.,  242. 

Melissa  A.,  242. 

William  H.,  241,  247. 
Moore,  Paul  H.,  212. 
Morgan,  Daniel,  9. 

James,  189. 
Moriarty,  J.  J.,  247. 

Thomas,  246. 
Morrill,  Frederick,  261. 
Morse,  Carl  F.  A.,  208. 

George  D.,  208,  262. 

Isadore,  224. 

Mrs.  Leopold,  224. 

Tyler,  224. 
Mosaic  Lodge,  111. 
Moulton,  Benjamin,  251. 

Robert,  15. 
Moynahan,  Frank  E.,  151. 
Mudge,  Albert  H.,  134. 

Augustus,  123,  128,  259. 

Edwin,  123,  257,  262. 

O.  P.,  246. 

Otis,  123,  256,  257,  261. 

Sarah  W.,  210. 

Simon,  73. 
Mullins,  W.  H.,  212. 
Municipal  lighting,  203. 
Munroe,  Harris,  131. 

James  M.,  132. 
Murphy,  Leonard,  246. 

Milan,  52. 

Murray, ,  120. 

Musgrave,  Thomas  A.,  181,  189. 

Nail  cutting  machine,  98. 
Nancy  (sch.),  115. 
Nangle,  Robert  B.,  211. 
Narragansett  fight,  19,  20. 
Neal,  Harriot  P.,  210. 
"Neck  of  Land,"  48,  142. 
Needham, ,  12. 

Jasper,  251. 

Joseph,  20. 

Stephen,  opp.  105,  250-253. 

William,  150. 
Neilson,  Augustus  B.,  242. 
New  Hampshire  Iron  Co.,  116. 
New  Mills,  9,  42-49,  72,  87,  91,    92, 
113-119,  143,  147-151. 


New  Mills  Alarm  Company,  110. 
New  Mills  Lyceum,  103. 
New  Mills  Social  Library,  103. 
New  Salem  Pioneers,  35. 
Newbury  port  and  Boston  R.  R.,  158. 
Newhall,  Aaron  F.,  opp.  110. 

Benjamin  E.,  127. 

Benjamin  S.,  208. 

Charles,  133,  134,  203. 

Henry,  194. 

Josiah,  opp.  105. 
Newspapers,  151. 
Niagara  (engine),  106. 
Nichols,    Abel,    149,   223,    249,  256, 
261. 

Andrew,   opp.  110,    134,  150,  246, 
247,  249,  254. 

Mrs.  Andrew,  206. 

Ezra,  opp.  105. 

John  H.,  223,  246. 

Joshua,  135. 

Mrs.  Joshua,  219,  223. 

Mary  W.,  197. 

Oda  Howe,  224. 

William,  10. 
Nickerson,  W.  C,  208. 
Nightingale,  C.  S.,  92. 

J.  Ellis,  208,  259. 
Niles,  E.  H.,  247. 
Nita  (vessel),  186. 
Norman,  George  H.,  192. 
Norris  &  Preston,  131. 
North  bridge,  68,  69. 
Northend,  William  D.,  158. 
Northwest  Territory,  93-95. 
Nowers,  Fred  H.,  209. 
Noyes,  Francis,  123. 

Harriet,  174. 

John  M.  C,  123,  131. 

Nathaniel,  174. 

Nicholas,  26. 

Sally,  174. 
Nurse,  Nourse, ,  144. 

Allen,  189. 

Francis,  27,  opp.  29,  73,  251. 

Rebecca,  8,  27,  30. 

Rogers,  73,  133. 
Nurse  farm,  9. 
Nutting,  Daniel,  opp.  105. 

Oak  Hill,  9,  236,  237. 
Oakes,  Caleb,  117,  144,  174. 

William,  100,  117,  247. 
O'Brien,  Jeremiah,  85. 

John,  86. 

Morris,  85. 


276 


INDEX 


Oby,  Maurice  C,  opp.  115. 
Ogden,  William  H.,  189. 
Ohio  Company,  93-95. 
Oliver,  B.  L.,  opp.  110. 
Omnibus  line,  154. 
O'Neil,  J.  H.,  248. 
Orchard  Farm,  5,  6. 
O'Keilly,  Fr.,  178. 
O'Rourke,  D.  J.,  248. 
Orkhussunt  River,  5. 
Osborn,  Osborne, ,  12. 

Alexander,  25. 

Sir  Danvers,  43,  263. 

George,  156,  177,  259. 

Joseph,  250,  253. 

Kendall,  156,  255-257. 

Miles,  162. 

Peter  43, 

Richard,  254,  256,  257,  261. 

Sarah,  25,  SO,  217. 

Sylvester,  86,  133,  254,  260. 

William,  20. 
Osgood,  Gayton  P.,  158. 

George,  246,  249. 

Joseph,  162. 
Otis,  Harrison  Gray,  97. 
Owen,  Llewellyn  A.,  120,  190. 

Page, ,  62,  87,  144. 

Anne  L.,  61,  197,  200. 

Betsey,  115. 

Charles  W.,  149,  247. 

Clarissa,  115,  117. 

Eliza,  115. 

Jeremiah,  52,  70,   73,   83,  84,   86, 
101,  115,  127,  250,  253. 

John,  254,  260,  261. 

Nancy,  115. 

Nicholas,  20. 

Rebecca,  115. 

Sally,  115. 

Samuel,  73,  86,  110,  111,  114,  117. 
249,  250,  253,  254. 

William,  115. 

William  P.,  246,  260. 
Page  house,  opp.  125,  200. 
Page  tea  party,  60-63. 
Paine,  H.  H.,  191. 
Palmer,  Thomas,  124,  201. 
Parish  rate  abolished,  119. 
Park,  public,  198. 
Parker,  Alice,  30. 

George  H.,  44,  208. 

Mary,  30. 

William  H.,  189. 


Parris,  Elizabeth,  23. 

Samuel,  18,  23. 
Patch,  Emilie  K.,  171. 
Paton,  Andrew  H.,  259,  262. 

Mrs.  A.  H.,  210. 
Patten,  John  R.,  149,  246. 
Patterson,  Jesse  C,  opp.  105. 
Peabody, ,  163,  164,  167-169,175. 

Benjamin,  opp.  110. 

Francis,  64,  105,  169-171,  236,  237, 
242,  244. 

George,  159,  161, 162, 164-166,  168, 
171,  172,  174,  175,  237,  243. 

George  Augustus,    opp.  121,  171, 
208,  239,  242. 

George  H.,  124,  262. 

George  W.,  189, 

Jacob  C,  R.,  237,  250. 

John,  139. 

Joseph,  236,  243,  245. 

Joseph  A.,  245. 

Robert  Singleton,  170. 

Samuel  E.,  241. 
Peabody,  Riggs  &  Co.,  164. 
Peabody  Farm,  243. 
Peabody  Institute,  169-171,  242. 
Peabody  Library,  168-171. 
Peabody  Press,  151. 
Peabody  reception,  165-167. 
Peale,  Julius,  250. 
Pegging  machine,  128. 
Peirce,  Elizabeth,  220. 

George,  220, 

Nathan,  217,  220,  221. 
Pepperell,  William,  49, 
Perkins,  Mrs.  C.  E.,  210. 

Elliott,  248. 

Henry  A.,  257,  258. 

J.  Frank,  189. 

Mrs,  Thomas,  210. 
Perley,  A.  Procter,  124,  125. 

Charles  N,,  125,  134,  160,  197,  258. 

Frederick,  123. 

Jacob, 139. 

John,  124,  125. 

Nathaniel,  125. 
Perley's  store,  124-126. 
Perry,  Benjamin,  opp,  105. 

Jacob,  113,  171, 

Jacob  F.,  opp.  105,  255,  257,  261. 

James  M.,  257, 

James  O.,  259, 
Pester,  William,  217,  223. 
Peters,  Hugh,  9, 
Petition  for  separate  parish,  16. 
Pequot  War,  11, 


INDEX 


277 


Phelps,  Joseph,  opp.  105. 
Philbrick,  John  D.,  216. 

Julia  A.,  183,  214. 
Phillips,  Alouzo  P.,  139,  261. 

John,  11. 

Stephen,  217,  220-223. 

Stephen  H.,  247. 

Stephen  W.,  219. 

Walter,  101. 
Phillips-Lawrence-Sanders     house, 

217. 
Phillips  Tavern,  101. 
Phips, ,  30,  43. 

William,  22. 
Physicians,  74,  246. 
Pickering, ,  107,  108. 

Octavius,  108. 

Timothy,  opp.  104,  106,  247. 
Piemont,  John,  101,  110. 
Piemont's  Tavern,  101,  102. 
Pierce,  J.  W.,  134. 
Pillsbury,  Harvey  H.,  193,  205,  206. 
Pinder,  Kent  &  Fovrler,  88. 
Pines,  The,  6. 
Pingree,  Asa,  158. 
Pioneers,  35. 

Pitcher,  Sylvia  C,  219,  223. 
Poland  &  Connors,  132. 
Pool  &  Jacobs,  131. 
Poole,  Pool, ,  131. 

Fitch,  139,  140,  158,  261. 

Jane,  33. 

Leonard,  116,  opp.  121,  257. 

Ward,  250. 

William,  opp.  110. 

William  F.,  162,252. 
Poor,  Eben  S.,  261. 

Ebenezer,  opp.  105. 

Frank  A.,  208. 

Henry,  156,  168,  177,  256,  259,261. 

Joseph,  162,  256. 

Nathan,  opp.  110,   249,   250,   255, 
260,  261. 

Nathan  H.,  257,  262. 

Sally,  174. 

Pope, ,  12,  144. 

Pope,  Amos,  99,  101. 

Bethseda,  99. 

Daniel  P.,  124,  258,  259. 

Fletcher,  128. 

Hannah,  74. 

Ira  P.,  123. 

Joseph,  10,  99. 

Nathaniel,  73,  177,  251,  255,  256. 

Zephaniah,  101. 
Porphory  Hall,  231. 


Porter,  Aaron,  150. 

Alfred,  opp.  110,  189. 

Alfred  R.,  149. 

Benjamin,  45,  73,  77,  98,  117,  239, 
252. 

Ella  J.,  197. 

Eunice,  150. 

George  W.,  189. 

Hathorne,  149,  1.50. 

Israel,  32,  239. 

Israel  P.   117. 

J.  Frank!  128i  193,  198,  259,  262. 

J.  W.,  247. 

James,  250,  253. 

John,  13,  14,  16,  opp.  32,  45,  opp. 
105,  239. 

Jonathan,  117,  123,  133. 

Joseph,  16,  opp.  16,  150,  252. 

Moses,  73,  77,  79,  89,  150. 

Samuel,  263. 

Samuel  M.,  189. 

Thomas,  56,  249-251,  259. 

Warren,  opp.  110,  113,  186. 

William,  239. 

Zerubbabel,  89,  119,  120,  150,  253, 
254. 
Porter's  Plain,  13,  32. 
Porter's  River,  9,  13. 
Porter's  Tavern,  45,  47,  48,  55. 
Postal  free  delivery,  203. 
Post  offices,  133,  134. 
Potter,  Benjamin,  149. 

Henry,  134. 

Henry  A.,  149. 
Povrer,  Thomas,  178. 
Powers, ,  194-196. 

Ernest  J.,  161,  247. 
Pratt,  Amos,  113. 

Nettie  M.,  210. 

Samuel  S.,  134. 
Pray,  Harriet  P.,  219. 
Prentiss,  Prentice,  Capt.,  19. 

Henry,  123,  134. 

Joseph  Gr.,  123. 
Prescott,  Benjamin,  32,  250. 

Peter,  20. 
Preston, ,  131,  132,  144. 

Abel,  177,  256,  257. 

Charles  H.,  128,  200,  205,  208,  258, 
259,  262. 

Mrs.  C.  H.,  210. 

Charles  P.,  131,  171,  249,257,261. 

Daniel,  opp.  110,  113. 

D.  J.,  183. 

Harriet  Waters,  129. 

Henry,  124. 

Hiram,  opp.  105. 


278 


INDEX 


Preston,  John,  35,  73,  opp.  110,  249, 

251,  252,  254,  255,  260,  261. 

Levi,  73,  87,  opp.  110,  133,  254. 

Louisa  P.,  199. 

Moses,  opp.  105,  255. 

Nellie  C,  197. 

Samuel,  opp.  110,   122,    opp.  125, 
128,  143,  156,  168,  256,  261. 

Thomas,  10. 
Prince, ,  144. 

Arthur,  171,  173. 

Asa,  70,  87. 

David,  253. 

Elzaphan,  opp.  105. 

James,  41,  43,  73,  250-252. 

John,  220. 

Jonathan,  57,  246. 

Robert,  15,  25. 

Sarah,  25. 
Prince-Osborne  house,  25. 
Printing  office,  first,  88. 
Privateer,  104. 
Proctor,  Abel,  opp.  105 

Benjamin,  252. 

Daniel,  opp.  110. 

John,  30,  41,  opp.  105,  251. 

John  C,  160. 

John  W.,  156,  249. 

Johnson,  73,  87,  133,  233,  254. 

Jonathan,  253. 

Joseph,  20. 

Lydia  W.,  129, 

Nathan,  251. 

Stephen,  opp.  105,  250,  251. 

Sylvester,  opp.  110,  163. 
Province  charter,  22. 
Purrington,  Daniel,  251. 
Putnam, ,  67,  94,  132,  144. 

Aaron,   54,  123,  177,  252,  253,  257. 

Albert,  117. 

Alfred  P.,  138,  152,  198,  246. 

Allen,  73,  117,  246,  261. 

Amos,  35,  73,  74,  110,  238,  246,249. 

Andrew,  101,  110,  246. 

Andrew  M.,  117,  145. 

Ann,  23,  29,  30,  217. 

Archelaus,  44,  66,  87,  opp.  105,107, 
246,  252. 

Archelaus  F.,  246. 

Arthur  A.,  181,  247,  249,  261. 

Benjamin,  73,  246,  251. 

Bessie,  206. 

Calvin,  98,  216. 

Catherine,  183. 

Daniel,  73,    123,   214-216,  252-254, 
260. 


Putnam,  Daniel  F.,  123. 
David,  54,  213,  214,251. 
E.  F.,  250. 

Eben,  42,  113,  122,  255,  256,  261. 
Ebenezer,  246. 
Edmund,    opp.  48,  71,  73,  87,  119, 

252. 
Edward,  31. 
Eleazer,  107. 
Elias,  opp.  48,  89,    121,    125,  127, 

143,  145,  156-158,  opp.  185,   190, 

198,  206. 
Elias  E.,  150,  249,  255,  259-261. 
Enoch,  73,  84,  111,  252. 
Francis  P.,  150,  261. 
Mrs.  F.  P.,  214. 
Frank,  117. 
George,  117. 
George  A.,  123. 
Gideon,  101,    102,    124,   opp.    125, 

249-252,  260. 
Hannah  P.,  238. 
Harriet,  146. 
Henry  F.,  123. 
Hiram,  opp.  110,  117. 
Hiram  B.,  246. 
Holyoke,  31. 
Horace  B.,  117. 
Israel,  12,  29,  54,  59,   74,   76,  127, 

218-215,  255. 
Israel  H.,  123,  128,  132,  171. 
Israel  W.,  246. 
J.  A.,  202. 
J.  M.,  214. 
J.  W-.,  120. 

James,  64,  opp.  104,  247. 
James  F.,  opp.  110. 
James  P.,  246. 
James  W.,  261. 
Jeremiah,  73,  87,  111,  117. 
Jeremiah  S.,  246. 
Jesse,  109,  opp.  110,  150,  214-216, 

255. 
Jethro,  55,  73,  110. 
Joel,  123,  257. 

John,  5,  12,  16,  213,  251,  252. 
John  F.,  257. 
Jonathan,  123. 
Joseph,  28,  43,  45,  73,  74,  127,  213- 

215,  251,  253,  254. 
Mary,  213. 
Matthew,  73. 
Melvin  B.,  123,  262. 
Miriam,  54. 
Moses,  90,  127,  146. 
Nathan,  73. 


INDEX 


279 


Putnam,  Xathaniel,  16,  73,  117,  150, 

232,  254,  260. 

Otis  P.,  101,  257,  258, 

Perley,  71,  114. 

Philemon,  112,  117,  261. 

Phineas,  54,  73,  252. 

Robert  W.,  189. 

Rufus,  93,  128,  257. 

Samuel,  67,  101,  107,  123,  143,  232, 
247,  251,  259. 

Sarah,  44,  67. 

Simeon,  113,  139,  206,  257,  262. 

Stephen,  43,  53,  54,  73,  251,  253. 

Susan,  214,  216,  217. 

Tarrant,  63. 

Thomas,  16,  19,  20,  23,  29,  73,  74, 
117,  144,  213,  249,  254,  255,  260. 

Timothy,  55,  73. 

Wallace  A.,  189. 

William,  214,  252. 

William  E.,  123. 

William  R.,  216. 
Putnam  &  Fellows,  132. 
Putnam  Guards,  181-183. 
Putnam,    Gen.    Israel,    birthplace, 

213. 
Putnam  (ship),  115. 
Putnam  Home,  206. 
Putnam  Mills,  45,  102. 
Putnam  Tavern,  101,  102. 
Putnamville,  88,  120-122. 

"Quail  Trap,"  160. 
Quincy,  Josiah,  8,  opp,  55. 

Railroads,  155,  156. 
Eankin,  William,  171. 
Eanoni,  Charles,  178. 
Raymond,  John,  19. 

Thomas,  20. 

William,  20. 
Rea, ,  12. 

Bartholomew,  251. 

Bethia,  20. 

Caleb,  77,  246. 

Daniel,  10,  20. 

Joshua,  16. 

Zerubbabel,  77. 
Rea-Putnam-Fowler  house,  20. 
Rebecca  (brig),  115. 
Rebecca  (sch.),  115. 
Rebecca  Nurse  Association,  27,  28. 
Red  Cross  episode,  10, 
Reed,  Read,  Isaac,  19. 

Nathan,  98,  97,  98,  247,  260. 

Nicholas,  21. 


Reed,  Thomas,  9. 

Wilmot,  30. 
Reifsnider,  Edson,  120. 
Reith,  John,  opp.  110. 
Representatives,  259. 
Resolutions  of  town  in  1773,  03. 
Revolution,  soldiers  killed  in,  J 33. 
Revolution,  officers  in  tlie,  70. 
Revolutionary  soldiers'  grraves,  73. 
Revolutionary  War,  68-87,    114,  115, 
Rhoades,  Charles,  117. 
Rice, ,  58,  103. 

Alexander  H.,  169. 

Austin,  246. 

Charles  B.,  18,  205,  262. 
Richards,  Chauncey  S.,  258. 

Daniel,  124,  125,  127,  153,  168, 171. 
Richardson,  Abel,  117. 

Edward,  opp.  110,  116,  opp.  121. 

Ezra,  opp.  105. 

Jonathan,  149. 

S.  P.,  189. 

Seth,  73,  87,  117. 
Richmond,  James,  246. 
Rider,  Joseph,  236. 
Riggs, ,  164. 

Elisha,  163. 
Riverbank,  233 
Roach,  Israel,  189. 
Road,  first,  8. 

Road  from  Plains  to   Neck,  contro- 
versy on,  45-49. 
Road  to  Salem  opened,  46-48. 
Roberts,  Isaac  N.,  189. 
Robinson,  E.  N.,  248. 

Helen,  201. 
Rodgers,  S.  A.,  189. 
Rogers  farm,  103. 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  120,  178. 
Ropes,  Bessie  P.,  171. 

Henry  T.,  153. 

Joseph  W.,  153. 

Mrs.  W.  H.,  210. 
Rose  (negro),  53. 
Ross,  Josiah,  149,  257,  258. 

Leland  J.,  208. 
Rum  Creek  bridge,  238. 
Rushmore,  William  J.,  161. 
Russell, ,  144. 

Benjamin,  251. 

Ezekiel,  88,  opp.  92. 

George  Peabody,  170. 

Jason,  71. 

Thomas,  170. 
Ryan,  Cornelius,  145. 


280 


INDEX 


St.  Hilare,  Ernest  J.,  211. 

St.  John's  College,  231. 

St.  John's  Preparatory  School,  201. 

Salem  Gazette,  151. 

Salem  Iron  Factory  Co.,  98. 

Salem  Iron  Works,  116. 

Salem  Marine  Society,  116. 

Salem  Register,  151. 

Salem  Village,  11-41. 

Salisbury,  Stephen,  169. 

Sally  (sch.),  115,  116. 

Sanders,  Mrs.  N.  S.  H.,  217,  223. 

Sanderson,  George  E.,  191. 

Sanger,  Abner,  opp.  105,  250. 

George  J.,  120,  249,  262. 
Sartwell,  Mrs.  Blanche,  247. 

Oliver,  247. 
Saunders,  John,  opp.  110. 
Savage,  Elias,  149,  256,  257. 
Savannah  (vessel),  186. 
Saveyer,  James  B.,  123. 

J.  W.,  246. 

Jonathan,  250-253. 

Samuel  L.,  128,  259,  262. 
Scampton,  Frank,  189. 
School,  first  established,  33,  34. 
School  at  New  Mills,  92. 
School  at  Plains,  112. 
School  at  Putnamville,  88,  opp.  185. 
School  improvements,  202. 
School  Superintendent,  202. 
Schools,  92,  105,  159. 
Scott,  Margaret,  30. 
Seal  of  the  town,  203. 
Searl,  Curtis,  opp.  110. 
Sears,  George  B.,  198,  247. 

H.  J.  H.,  248. 

John,  123. 

John  A.,  190. 

John  H.,  190. 

Robert  K.,  123. 
Selectmen,  251. 
Senators,  259. 

Separation  from  Salem,  36,  41. 
Seventeenth  Infantry,  181. 
Seventh  Day  Advent  Church,  191. 
Shackley,  John,  189. 
Shafer,  M.  A.,  146. 
Shahan,  Thomas  H.,  178. 
Sharp,  Samuel,  13. 
Shattuck,  Sylvanus,  134. 
Shaw,  Joseph,  opp.  110,  133. 
Shays,  Daniel,  93. 

John,  opp.  110. 
Shay's  Rebellion,  92. 
Shea,  Patrick  F.,  189. 


Shed,  Joseph,   opp.   110,   177,   246, 

249,  250,  255. 
Sheldon,  Charles  H.,  189. 

Godfrey,  21. 

Jesse,  opp.  105. 

Susannah,  23. 

Warren,  opp.  105. 

William  E.,  189. 
Shepard,  Charles  H.,  151,  194,  195. 
Shillabcr,  Ebenezar,  250,  260,  261. 

John,  62. 

William,  63,  249,  252,  260. 
Shipbuilding  at  New  Mills,  87,  88. 
Shipping,  113-116. 
Shipyards,  117. 
Shoe  manufacturers,  123,  124. 
Shoe   manufacturing,    89,    90,    118- 

126,  128-133. 
Shove,  Jonathan,  opp.  105,  249,  255, 
259,  260,  261. 

Samuel,  opp.  110. 

Squiers,  260. 
ShurtlefE,  Nathaniel  S.,  170. 
Sillars,  Archie  W.,  134. 

Malcolm,  124,  262. 
Silvester, ,  168,  175. 

Harriet,  174. 

Joshua.   122,   129,   152,    156,    157, 
166-171,  174,  232,  256,   261,   263. 

Sally,  174. 

William  W.,  179,  246. 
Skelton, ,  157. 

Samuel,  9,  opp.  32. 
Skelton's  Neck,  9,  44. 
Skidmore,  Richard,  68,  73,  111. 
Skillings,  C.  F.,  135. 
Slaves,  50-54. 
Small,  Francis  J.,  211. 

Thomas,  16. 
Smart,  Joseph  T.,  189. 
Smith,  Adam  D.,  208. 

Daniel.  189. 

Elizabeth,  136,  142. 

Ephraim,  133. 

Ernest  M.  W.,  120. 

Henry  A.,  189. 

Ivan, 161. 

James,  250. 

John,  15,  16. 

Jonathan,  117. 

Joseph  N..  124. 

Mary  E.,  209. 

Richard,  261. 

Thomas,  10,  21. 

Walter,  101. 

William,  183. 
Snow,  Jesse  W.,  246. 


INDEX 


281 


Society  for  the  Preservation  of  New 

England  Antiquities,  118. 
Soewamapenessett  River,  5. 
Soldiers'  monument,  188. 
Sons  of  Veterans,  189. 
South  Danvers,  176. 
South  Danvrrs  Wizard,  151. 
Southwick,  Edward,  127,  250. 

George,  71. 

Joseph,  250,  251. 
Spalding,  Samuel  W.,  154,  257. 
Spanish  War,  203. 
Spite  bridge,  97. 
Splane,  Edward,  189. 
SpofEcrd,  Clara  T.,  209. 

E.  A.,  206. 
Ellen  A.,  197. 
Spooner,  William  H.,  161. 
Sprague,  Joseph  G.,  opp.  110. 
Spring,  J.  E.,  222,  231, 
Stacey,  John,  19,  110. 

Sally,  174. 
Stage-coaches,  154. 
Stambler,  David,  212. 
Stamp  Act,  56. 
Staples,  Herbert  W.,  211. 
Steadman,  H.  R.,  247. 
Stearns,  Joseph,  113,  255. 
Stephens,  Timothy,  87. 
Stetson,  Alonzo  J.,  262. 
Stewart,  Ambrose  P.  S.,  160. 
Stickney,  Mrs.  W.  G.,  201. 
Stileman,  Elias,  10. 
Stimpson, ,  193. 

Edward,  150. 

George  O.,  127,  208. 

Mrs.  G.  O.,  210. 
Stone,  Harold  D.,  259. 
Story,  Charles,  131. 

Ira,  88. 

Stoughton, ,  11. 

Street  railway,  196. 
Streeter,  Gilbert  L.,  3. 
Strong,  Edward  F.,  208. 

Minerva  H.,  197. 
Strout,  Roy  M.,  161. 
Sunflower  (vessel),  156. 
Sullivan,  Arthur  P.,  248. 

Cornelius,  189. 

Henry  A.,  178. 

Patrick,  124. 

William  B.,  200,  205,  211,  247,  248. 
Sumner,  Charles,  169,  170. 
Sutton,  Eben,  156,  162,  256. 

William,  opp.  105,  168,  260,  261. 
Swan,  Jonathan,  opp.  110. 


Swinerton, ,  12,  144. 

Job,  10,  15,  16. 

John,  26,  251. 
Sylvester,  Benjamin  F.,  98. 

Herbert  W.,  98. 

John,  98. 

Nathaniel,  123. 
Sylvester,  see  Silvester. 
Symonds,  Samuel,  opp.  110. 

Tanner,  13,  118. 
Tannery,  118,  127. 
Tapley, ,  144. 

Amos,  73,  253,  254. 

Asa,  73,  113,  133,  142. 

C.  R.,  208. 

Claire  H.,  209. 

Daniel,  142. 

Elizabeth,  142. 

George,  123, 177,  249,  261. 

Gilbert,  73,  113,  128,  135,  139, 141, 
142,  158,  191,  236. 

Gilbert  A.,  124,  127,  141,  142,  191, 
262. 

Herbert  S.,  171. 

Harriet  S.,  201. 

Jesse,  113,  123,  142. 

John,  52. 

Nathan,  65,  113,  142,  177,  236,  238. 

Parley,  135,136,  138,  139,  142. 

R.  P.,  247. 

Walter  A.,  124,  208. 
Tapleyville,  89,  135-142. 
Tarbell, ,  238. 

Cornelius,  41,  43,  251. 

Jonathan,  251,  252. 
Tarr,  David,  73. 
Taverns,  45,  48,55,  101. 
Tea  episodes,  59-63. 
Teacher,  first,  34. 
Teacher  at  New  Mills,  92. 
Tebbetts,  F.  Pierce,  202. 
Tedford,  Milford,  189. 
Telephone  introduced,  193. 
Temperance,  111. 
Ten  Broeck,  Petrus  S.,  236,  238. 
Tenney,  George  J.,  158. 
Text  books,  free,  202. 
Thayer,  George  L.,  132. 

Nathaniel,  170. 
Thomas,  Walter  G.,  92. 
Thompson,  A.  F.,  131. 

B.  F.  &  Co.,  131. 

J.  H.,191. 

John  N.,  189. 
Thorndike,  Albert,  158. 

Larkin,  240. 


282 


INDEX 


Thoron,  Ward,  64,  237. 
Tibbetts,  B.  Lewis,  124. 

Benjamin  B.,  opp.  105. 
Tituba,  23,  25. 
Tolman,  Richard,  146. 
Tories,  64,  65,  104,  263. 
Torr,  Andrew,  opp.  105,  256. 
Torrey,  Joseph,  111. 
Town  clerks,  250, 
Town  Hall,  160,  202. 
Town  government  proposed,  36,  41. 
Town  meetings,  43,  146. 
Towne,  Daniel-  73. 

George  W.,  206. 

Mrs.  G.  W.,  210. 

Grace,  209. 
Training  place,  18. 
Trainor,  Patrick,  189. 
Trask,  Edward,  21. 

Elbridge,  123. 
Travel,  means  of,  7. 
Tread  well,  John  W.,  236. 
Treasurers,  250. 
Trickey,  W.  H.,  120. 
Trow,  James  M.,  134. 
Trumbull,  John,  76. 

Jonathan,  37. 
Tufts,  James,  21. 

Joseph,  133,  255,  256. 
Twiss,  William  F.,  189. 
Two  Brothers  (sch.),  115. 
Tyler,  Job,  149. 

Underwood,  Mrs.  G.  M.,  218. 
Uniforms  of  militia,  19,  109,  112. 
Unitarian  Church,  190. 
United  States  Lodge,  102,  110. 
Unity  Chapel,  13,  204. 
Universalist  Church,  120,  169. 
Universalists,  89,  119-121. 
Upham, ,  26. 

Dr.,  241. 
Upton,  Austin,  189. 

Benjamin,  251. 

Eben  S.,  256. 

Edward,  opp.  105. 

Elijah,  256. 

Elijah  W.,  156.  162,  168,  261. 

Ezra,  252. 

John,  opp.  110. 

Stephen,  250. 
Upton  Tavern,  101. 
Usher,  James  M.,  149. 

Vaccination,  91. 
Valentine,  J.  F.,  247. 


Verry,  Andrew,  221. 

Daniel,  214. 

Samuel,  19. 
Victoria,  Queen,  172,  173. 
Village  Bank,  opp.  125,  198. 
Villagers  killed  by  Indians,  21. 
Villages  of  Danvers,  113. 

Wadsworth, ,  51,  57,  104. 

Benjamin,  18,  33,  69,  86,  111. 

Mary,  86. 
Wadsworth  Cemetery,  144. 
Wahquack,  9. 
Wahquainesehcok,  5. 
Waitt,  Wait,  Charles  F.,  131. 

Jonathan,  73. 

Oliver  C,  149. 

Peter,  150. 
Walcott, ,  12. 

John,  252. 

Jonathan,  15,  254. 

Mary,  23. 

William,  257,  261. 
Walden,  Joseph,  131. 
Walker,  George,  179. 
Wallis,  Dennison,  87,  260. 

William,  134. 
Walnut  Grove  Cemetery  Corp.,  143. 
War  of  1812,  109,  110. 
Ward,  Angus,  189. 

F.  J.,  92. 

Joshua  H.,  261. 

Lucy  A.,  218. 

Thomas,  218. 

William,  189. 
Ward  Relief  Corps,  189. 
Wardwell,  Samuel,  30. 
Warren, ,  125. 

C.  H.,  169. 

Harrison  O.,  258. 

Henry,  134. 

Jonas,  101,  124,  opp.  125,  174. 

Mary,  23. 
Warren's  store,  124,  125. 
Washington,  George,  75,  77,  82. 
Watch  house,  21. 
Watch  house  hill,  30. 
Water  system,  191,  192. 
Waterman,  Richard,  5. 
Waters,  John,  233. 

Lydia,  233. 

Richard,  opp.  28. 
Waters  River,  5,  6,  9,  46. 
Watson,  Thomas,  193. 
Watts,  Andrew  C,  89. 

Mrs.  A.  C.,206. 


INDEX 


283 


Wayne, ,  115. 

Weavers,  136,  141. 

Webb,  Jotham,  71,  72,  opp.  115. 

Nathaniel,  73,  127,  253. 

W.  Arthur,  259. 
Webber,  Parker,  154. 
Webster,  Daniel,  139. 

Samuel  H.,  117. 
Welch,  A.  Frank,  128,  250. 

C.  E.  M.,  189. 
Wells,  Nathaniel  K.,  189. 
Wenham  Lake  Ice,  152. 
Wentworth,  Harriet  L.,  197. 

Philip  H.,  190,  22-4. 
Weston,  Francis,  5,  263. 

William  L.,  127,  128,  153,  162,  168, 
250. 
Wheeler,  C.  H.,  92. 
Wheelwright,  Ralph,  208. 
Wliipple,  George  M.,  187. 

John,  20. 
Whipple's  Hill,  10. 
White, ,  174,  175. 

A.  Alden,  123. 

AldenP.,  53,   157,   177,   200,  247, 
250. 

Charles  H.,  128. 

Haffield,  93-95. 

Samuel,  252. 
Whiting,  Lewis,  246. 
Whitney,  George  T.,  189. 
Whittier,   John  Greenleaf,  28,  150, 

232. 
Widen,  Peter  J.,  208. 
Widen-Lord  Co.,  118. 
Wiggin,  Joseph  F.,  189. 
Wildes,  Sarah,  30. 
Wilkins,  Benjamin,  20. 

Bray,  16,  32. 

Carrie  F.  B.,  201. 

Charles,  117. 

Daniel,  20. 

F.  A.,  134. 

Fred,  124. 

Mrs.  Fred  E.,  210. 

John,  16. 


Wilkins,  Reuben,  124. 

Stephen,  opp.  110,  117. 

W.  W..  190. 
Wilks,  Norman,  248. 
Willard,  Abigail,  239. 

John,  30. 
William  (brig),  115. 
Williams,  Abigail,  23. 

Lester,  161. 

W.  S.,  120. 
Wills  Hill,  35,  192. 
Wilson,  Isaac,  60. 

Moses,  216. 

Robert,  21. 
Winchester,  Bancroft,  opp.  110. 
Winkley,  Henry  W.,  179. 

Ruth,  209. 
Winnapurkitt,  4. 
Winthrop,  John,  8. 

Lucy,  13. 

Robert  C,  33,  164,  169,  170,  172. 

Thomas  Lindall,  33. 
Witch  house,  25. 
Witch  pins,  25. 
Witchcraft  delusion,  23-30. 
Withey,  John,  189. 

John  P.,  134. 
Woodbury,  Daniel,  149. 

Peter,  21. 
Woodman,  George,  189. 

Joseph  W.,  258,  262. 

Wyatt  B.,  140. 
Wood  row,  Benjamin,  16. 
Woods,  Joseph,  189. 
Wooleston  River,  5. 
World  War,  207-212. 
"Wreck  of  the  Glide,"  116. 
••Wreck  of  the  Margaret,"  117. 
Wright,  A.  E.,  120. 

W.  E.  C,  146. 
Wyatt,  George,  73. 

Young,  Charles  H.,  189. 
Young  Men's  Anti-Slavery  Society, 
147. 


